The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : BJP set to realise its dream

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Friday, May 30, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

BJP set to realise its dream

Special Correspondent

Yeddyurappa to be sworn in Chief Minister of Karnataka today

— Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Taking no chances: A security check being conducted around the Vidhana Soudha on Thursday, a day before the function in which the new BJP Government headed by B.S. Yeddyurappa will assume office.

BANGALORE: The countdown has begun for the formation of the first Bharatiya Janata Party Government in a southern State on Friday with the swearing in of 65-year-old B.S. Yeddyurappa as Chief Minister of Karnataka.

Though the party got the chief ministerial post on November 12, 2007, it was a coalition government with the Janata Dal (Secular) in which the BJP was a partner. Besides, the Government did not last beyond eight days. Now the party has come to power on its own, with the support of a few independent members.

The BJP, which has been describing Karnataka as its gateway to the South, is set to celebrate the event in a grand manner. The party is expecting 60,000 to one lakh party workers and leaders from different districts to attend the event to be held in front of the Vidhana Soudha at 1.50 p.m.

A team of around 25 Ministers is expected to take the oath along with Mr. Yeddyurappa. Mr. Yeddyurappa, who promised to include a member from a minority community in his Cabinet, is expected to include party vice-president Mumtaz Ali Khan in his Ministry.

Those likely to join the Ministry on Friday are K.S. Eshwarappa, Jagadish Shettar, V.S. Acharya, Govind Karjol, Suresh Kumar, Shobha Karandlaje, Arvind Limbavali, Mumtaz Ali Khan, Revu Nayak Belamagi, B. Sriramulu, Karunakara Reddy, Sogadu Shivanna, Shankaralinge Gowda, C.T. Ravi, Lakshman Savadi, Krishnaiah Shetty, C.C. Patil, S.K. Bellubbi, S. Angara, Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri and independents P.M. Narendraswamy, Venkataramanappa and D. Sudhakar.

Preparations have been made for holding the event. A team of Central leaders, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi will arrive in Bangalore on Friday in a special aircraft to attend the swearing-in ceremony.

Chief ministers of all the BJP-ruled and NDA-ruled States, barring Vasundhara Raje, will also attend the event. Party president Rajnath Singh arrived here on Thursday.

Absentees

The former Chief Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy will not be attending the swearing-in ceremony. Mr. Kumaraswamy said he would not be attending the programme since BJP leaders, during the election meetings, had made scathing personal attacks against him and his family members.

“If they had attacked the JD(S) on issues I would have not have minded. But all through the last six months they have been attacking me and my family personally. It will be highly improper if I have anything to do with the BJP, including attending the swearing-in ceremony,” he said.

The Congress leader and former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna has also been invited by the Raj Bhavan but he will not be attending as he is away in Chennai. Mr. Krishna is expected to return on Sunday.

The newly elected leader of the Congress Legislature Party, M. Mallikarjun Kharge will represent the party.

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