Bangalore: Newly sworn in Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa Thursday said he was “100 per cent sure” of winning the vote of confidence in the assembly and completing the five-year term.
He slammed the Congress-JDS alliance as unholy and charged they were out to grab power though the people had rejected them outright.
“I am sure of winning the vote of confidence and my government completing five years,” said Yeddyurappa, who has been given 15-days window by Governor Vajubhai Vala in a controversial decision that has been challenged in the Supreme Court.
He was addressing his first press conference soon after taking the oath following an overnight legal battle in the Supreme Court where the Congress-JDS combine made a desperate push to stall the government formation.
Yeddyurappa also appealed to the legislators to vote according to their conscience and uphold the people’s mandate.
“I am 100 per cent sure of the success,” he said, striking a confident note on emerging victorious in the trial of strength in the assembly.
“I have people’s support for me and my party,” said Yeddyurappa, who has now a tough task to muster the numbers to reach the half mark of 112.
The BJP has emerged as the single largest party with 104 seats in the May 12 elections which threw up a hung assembly.
Earlier, draped in a green shawl on his white safari suit, B S Yeddyurappa took the oath as Karnataka chief minister Thursday in the name of God and farmers at the Raj Bhavan.
The venue was all decked up for the culmination of a dramatic turn of events that had unfolded since the fractured mandate on May 15 with the BJP emerging as the single largest party but falling short of majority.
As Governor Vajubhai Vala administered Yeddyurappa the oath of secrecy and office, the man of the moment chose to take oath in the name of God and the farmers of Karnataka.
The 75-year old Lingayat strongman, who became chief minister for a second time, was projected in the run-up to assembly election as ‘Raitha Bandhu’ – the friend of the farmers.
Before leaving for Raj Bhavan, Yeddyurappa paid his obeisance at the Radhakrishna Temple here. He was accompanied by his sons BY Raghavendra and BY Vijayendra, senior party functionaries including union ministers DV Sadananda Gowda and Prakash Javadekar and BJP national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao.
Amid Vedic hymns and playing of musical instrument ‘Naadaswaram’, the special prayers were performed.
After the swearing in, Yeddyurappa drove to the Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat, and bowed at the entrance steps before entering his office as the new Chief Minister of the state.