MAN / BANGALORE
JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy today sworn-in as Chief Minister of Karnataka. Governor Vajubhai Vala administered him oath of office and secrecy, this evening at the grand steps of Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat.
Congress leader G Parameshwar also took oath as Deputy Chief Minister. The cabinet will comprise of 22 ministers from Congress including Deputy CM and 12 from JD(S) including the CM.
A host of leaders including Congress President Rahul Gandhi, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Chief Ministers of non-BJP states and heads of regional parties attended the swearing-in ceremony. Meanwhile, the BJP observed the day as Janamata Virodhi Diwas and staged protests across the state today.
Opposition leaders, including Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, SP’s Akhilesh Yadav, Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury and NCP’s Sharad Pawar among other s were present on the occasion.
Kumaraswamy become Chief Minister for the first time in February 2006 when the JD-S tied up with the BJP and formed the second coalition government after revolting against his father and withdrawing support to the Congress-JD-S first coalition government in the state.
In the 2004 assembly election, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 79 seats in the 225-member assembly, Congress second with 65 seats and JD-S third with 58 seats.
A “secular” Gowda, however, went with the Congress to form a coalition government, instead of allowing the BJP come to power.
Though Kumaraswamy ruled the state for 20 months as part of the power-sharing deal with the BJP, the JD-S did not allow the BJP to rule the next 20 months, withdrawing support to it in October 2007.
Popularly known as “Kumaranna” (elder brother) by his party cadres and supporters, Kumaraswamy is a multi-faced politician with interests in Kannada pictures as a producer, distributor and exhibitor in the state’s ‘sandalwood’ film industry.