Born fighter makes it to the CM post

Bangalore, May 26 (UNI) A born fighter Bookanakere Sidalingappa Yeddyurappa, struggled both within the party and outside to raise from the ranks of the Rashtriya Swayam Sewak to lead the Bharatiya Janata Party closer to power in Karnataka.

His never-say-die attitude and the struggle for the welfare of farmer and relentless salvos as an opposition leader against the ruling parties in the State in the past had borne him fruit to lead the new government of BJP, the first for the party down the vindhyas.

His dream to become Chief Minister of Karnataka ended in a fiasco in November 2007 as he emerged a 'Saath Din Ka Sultan' following the Janata Dal(S) decision to pull the carpet from under his feet after assuring to support the government led by him. But now, instead of 20 months as contracted with the JD(S) to form the coalition government, Mr Yeddyurappa has a chance to lead the BJP government for a full five year term.

Entering the Assembly for a sixth term since 1983, Mr Yeddyurappa as Finance Minister during his Deputy Chief ministership he reduced the interest rates cooprative loans to farmers to seven per cent and subsequently to four per cent, for the first time in the country. He had also relentlessly fought for waiver of farm loans during his tenure as opposition leader to mitigate the hardship faced by the farming community, especially in the predominantly rain fed areas of the State.

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