Jagadish Shettar to be new Karnataka Chief Minister

Jagadish Shettar to be new Karnataka Chief Minister, courtesy BS Yeddyurappa

Sadananda Gowda, the Chief Minister of Karnataka, was famous when he took office for his perma-grin.  His eleven months in office have severely tested his good humour. And in less than a week, Mr Gowda will have even less to smile about - he will be asked to make way for Jagadish Shettar as the head of the BJP's only government in the South.

 "I am ready for any decision. I will not treat any decision as either sweet or bitter," Mr Gowda had told reporters yesterday.

The BJP wanted to delay the change in leadership till after the elections for the President of India are held on July 19. Their candidate is PA Sangma; he is taking on the UPA's Pranab Mukherjee. But an unhappy Mr Yeddyurappa could have meant a large section of the party's legislators from Karnataka would be tempted to vote against their own candidate in a show of defiance and strength.

There's also the fact that the new session of the Karnataka Assembly begins on July 16, and Mr Yeddyurappa's considerable faction would have publicly embarrassed the party by refusing to show.

"Whatever the decision the high command takes, we will all abide by it", state unit BJP President K S Eswarappa had told reporters.