Basavaraj Bommai takes oath as Chief Minister of Karnataka
Bengaluru: Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday took oath as the new Chief Minister of Karnataka. The 61-year-old leader was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot at the Raj Bhavan here.
Ending the heightened suspense, the Karnataka BJP legislature party on Tuesday evening had elected Basavaraj Bommai as its new leader to succeed outgoing Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.
Bommai, a Lingayat leader from North Karnataka is a close confidante of Yediyurappa and, according to party sources, there is clear stamp of the veteran BJP leader in this succession plan.
Son of former Chief Minister, late S R Bommai, he was Minister for Home Affairs, Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Legislature in Yediyurappa's council of ministers which was dissolved on Monday.
It's the second time of a father-son duo becoming Chief Minister of Karnataka, after H D Deve Gowda and H D Kumaraswamy.
Bommai is a three time MLA from Shiggaon constituency in Haveri district and has been MLC twice.
Yediyurappa, Union ministers Pradhan and G Kishan Reddy, who were appointed as central observers by BJP's parliamentary board for the legislature party meeting, BJP national general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Arun Singh, state president Nalin Kumar Kateel and national general secretary C T Ravi were among those who attended the swearing-in.
Ahead of the swearing-in, Bommai met Yediyurappa, also leaders from the centre- Pradhan, Reddy and Singh.
Ending months of speculation over his exit, Yediyurappa on Monday stepped down as the Chief Minister, coinciding with his government completing two years in office.
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Three arrested for killing Buddhist woman monk in Himachal
Shimla (PTI): Three people have been arrested for allegedly murdering a Buddhist woman monk in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh nearly a month ago, police said on Friday.
The accused -- Gagan Sharma (23), Vishal (23) and Gaurav Sharma (20), all residents of Mandi -- were arrested on Thursday night, police said.
According to police, the 78-year-old Buddhist woman monk, Orje Shoki, was found murdered in a cave near Sarkidhar village, following which a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted to nab the accused.
Mandi Superintendent of Police (SP) Vinod Kumar said that during the investigation, more than 50 suspects were questioned and DNA samples of several suspects were also collected.
After a detailed investigation, the accused were arrested from different locations on Thursday night, he said.
Kumar said all the accused are drug addicts and they committed the crime with the intention of looting the victim, so that they could buy drugs.
Efforts are on to nab two more accused wanted in the case. They will be put behind bars soon, the SP said.
