BENGALURU: Basavaraj Somappa Bommai, the son of the former chief minister (CM) of Karnataka, S.R Bommai was sworn in as the successor to former CM, BS Yediyurappa today morning by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot at a function held at the Raj Bhavan today morning.

A day earlier, ending days of speculation and suspense, the Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislatures' party had elected Bommai as its new leader in the pace of outgoing CM BS Yediyurappa. While the names of several leaders including some central ministers were doing the rounds for the CM's post the name of Bommai was unanimously decided by everyone. 

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by the Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Kishan Reddy who were appointed as observers by the BJP parliamentary board, along with outgoing chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa and other top leaders of the state. Before being sworn in Bommai touched the Yediyurappa's feet and sought his blessings.

Like his predecessor, Bommai is a Lingayat leader and held multiple key portfolios in the state cabinet including as the Minister for Home Affairs, Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Legislature in Yediyurappa's council of ministers which was dissolved on Monday.

By profession, Bommai is a graduate mechanical engineer and started his career with Tata Motors in Pune, and was elected as an MLA twice in 1998 and 2004 from the Dharwad constituency on a Janata Dal (United) ticket. In 2008 he joined the BJP and was elected from the Shiggaon constituency in Haveri district.

Bommai’s father had served the office of the Karnataka CM from 1996-98 and Bommai becomes the second example of a father-son duo becoming CM of Karnataka after H D Deve Gowda and H D Kumaraswamy.

SR Bommai v. Union of India was a landmark judgment of the Supreme Court of India in 1994, where the Court discussed at length, the provisions of Article 356 of the Constitution of India and related issues where it spelt out restrictions on the Centre's power to dismiss a state government under Article 356. This case had a huge impact on Centre-State Relations. Instances of imposition of the President's rule have reduced after this judgement.