Sadanand Gowda is new Karnataka CM

Bangalore, Aug 3 (IBNS) B S Yeddyurappa candidate Sadanad Gowda has been chosen as the new chief minister of Karnataka by the BJP.

After a secret balloting Sadanand Gowda was chosen the successor of Yeddyurappa.

Yeddyurappa camp broke out in celebrations after the name was announced.

Gowda got over 60 votes (the figures vary from 62 to 63 and even 68) while Jagadish Shettar, the other contender, also got over 50.

A total of 120 MLAs were to vote. The BJP legislature party meeting was held earlier.

Gowda had the backing of also the RSS, the ideological patron of the BJP.

On a day Yeddyurappa said he would return to prominence in just six months, the former CM had taken all his MLAs to a resort earlier to avoid their defecting to other camps.

BJP leaders D V Sadananda Gowda and Jagadish Shettar were the two of the top contenders to become the next chief minister of Karnataka by secret voting.

Shettar was backed by state BJP chief K.S. Eshwarappa and party general secretary H.N. Ananth Kumar, who is also an MP from Bangalore South.

Gowda, 58, an MP from Udupi Chikmagalur constituency in Karnataka, as expected took an upper upper hand as his handpicked candidate was chosen.

On Sunday last, after high drama that peaked with a walk with supporters to the Raj Bhavan in the rain, B S Yeddyurappa resigned as the Chief Minister of Karnataka after ruling the state for three years and two months.

After keeping the top BJP leadership on the tenterhooks, Yeddyurappa, who was indicted by the Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hedge in the Rs 16,000 crore illegal mining scam report, finally submitted his resignation to Governor H R Bhardwaj.

Governor has already sanction the prosecution of Yeddyurappa.