Sadananda Gowda: The new Chief Minister of Karnataka

Eugene Moodubelle
Bellevision Media Network

Bangalore, 03 August 2011: In a keenly contested race for the Chief Ministership of Karnataka following the resignation of BS Yeddyurappa on Sunday, July 31, 2011, his nominee, Sadnanda Gowda, the MP from Udupi-Chikamagalur emerged victorious in a keenly contested secret poll conducted on Wednesday, July 3, 2011defeating the candidate of the Anant Kumar faction, Jagdish Shettar, the minister of Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Rural Water Supply and Sanitation in the Yeddyurappa Government. The announcement was made at around 3 pm.

 

Out of the 117 BJP legislators of Karnataka who had cast their votes through a secret ballot, Sadananda Gowda  obtained 62 votes as against 55 scored by his rival, Jagdish Shettar. The ballots were counted  in the Capitol Hotel in Bangaloreunder the supervision of the BJP Central observers-Arun Jaitly, Rajnath Singh and Dharemendra Pradhan in the presence of the two candidates, Sadananda Gowda and Jagdish Shettar.

Sadananda Gowda-The New Chief Minister

There was jubilation in the BS Yeddyurappa’s camp as his nominee, Sadananda Gowda, eventually emerged as the next Chief Minister of Karnataka  in spite of the reluctance of the Central leadership to declare the acceptance of his nomination before Yeddyurappa tendered his resignation, which was one of the conditions of Yeddyurappa before he proceeded to the Governor’s residence for submitting his resignation. 

 

There was hectic politicking and lobbying before the next Chief Minister of Karnataka was chosen. The pattern of voting show that some of the supporter of Yeddyurappa have cross voted in favour of Jagdish Shettar. However, at the end, it was Sadananda Gowda, the protege of Yeddyurappa who succeeded in laying his claim to the Chief Minister’s chair by securing the support of the majority of the Vidhana Sabha members (62 out of 117).   

Jagdish Shettar

The Anant Kumar faction may not accept the defeat of its nominee, Jagdish Shettar  without a fight back. By the very fact that there was no unanimity in selecting the successor of Yeddyurappa poses a serious challenge to the stability of the BJP party and government in Karnataka. There is already an atmosphere of  suspicion and factionalism in the Karnataka BJP party which in the course of time may lead to serious consequences unless the central leadership of the party asserts its position and quells any possible indiscipline among the BJP legislators. There may be many more dramas that may unfold in the political stage of Karnataka.