A Fortunate Stroke of Serendipity

As it is popularly said politics is a game of dice and in the context of Karnataka politics one can say no one knows it better than Shri Basavaraj Bommai on how to play it and It is also the first of its kind that a professionally qualified Engineer has occupied the position of chief minister in the state. 

Shri Bommai began his political innings by getting elected to the legislative council in the late ninties from then on he menoeuvred the political waters deftly to move slowly and steadily up the political ladder firstly by becoming political  secretary to then chief minister Shri J H Patel. 

But soon the power struggle began within in the Janata Dal ranks and Bommai's keen political acumen sensed that he is not going go far with the dwindling Janata Dal Ship. At the same time he saw the ascendancy of BJP and he quickly shifted his loyalty and moved to the party in 2008. Since then he never looked back and managed to secure ministerial births on all occassions of BJP forming government in the state but kept low profile and never played to the gallery nor showed the temerity to be in the spotlight but kept up his presence where it mattered.

When Shri Yeddyurappa called it quits from BJP in 2012 there was a select band of loyalists followed him to strengthen his hands in forming KJP but here again one can notice the tact and talent of Shri Bommai that he did not follow the suit instead remained in the BJP showing that he is a man of his own mind. But after 2013 elections playing spoilsport to both 

BJP and Yeddyurappa and soon realisation dawn on them that they are not mutually exclusive to each other and their interest lies in going together hand in hand  resulting in Shri Yeddyurappa coming back to the party fold and during this process it is said Shri Bommai played a vital role. 

When BJP in 2019 snatched the power back from Cong-Jds combine under the leadership of Yeddyurappa and he becoming the chief minister for the fourth time and appointed Shri Bommai as home minister, the second in command in power structure and thus rewarding him richly for the loyalty shown.

Throughout the last two years Shri Bommai as home minister kept very low profile and worked under the shadow of the chief minister and making his leader look better than what he is but when the change in leadership campaign gained momentum, he did not depict himself as an aspirant and there were many hats thrown in the ring and the aspiring leaders of the community started galvanizing the support from partymen in their favour and lobbied hard to obtain the grace of high command. 

During this process there was lot of halla bol from many chief ministerial aspirants but Shri Bommai maintained studied silence and never tried to show his interest in the coveted post though his name was doing rounds as one of the probable candidates.  But swamijis belonging to various mutts rallying behind Shri Yeddyurappa's continuation gave little scope for the BJP high command to experiment and to upset the apple cart. 

Now the search has narrowed down to choosing the candidates belonging to specific community for the state's top job and this has tilted the equation towards Shri Bommai's candidature. His experience, his loyalty to the strongman and his personal demeanour of keeping low profile clinched the deal for him and he landed the coveted job in a Fortunate Stroke of Serendipity.