Bookanakere Siddalingappa Yediyurappa (born 27 February 1943), commonly known as BSY, is an Indian politician affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He is currently a member of the BJP Parliamentary board committee, the party’s highest authority, since 17 August 2022. Yediyurappa has served four terms as the Chief Minister of Karnataka, making him the longest-serving BJP Chief Minister in the state. He has also held the position of Leader of the Opposition three times in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and represented the Shikaripura constituency in Shimoga district eight times.
In 2008, Yediyurappa became Chief Minister, marking the BJP’s first victory in a South Indian state. He resigned in 2011 due to a corruption case but was acquitted in 2016. After a fallout with the BJP, he formed the Karnataka Janata Paksha in 2013, which he later merged back into the BJP in 2014. He was elected to the 16th Lok Sabha from Shivamogga but resigned to join the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 2018. He was briefly Chief Minister again in May 2018 but resigned after failing to secure majority support. Yediyurappa was reappointed as Chief Minister in July 2019 following a political crisis and led the BJP to a significant victory in the December by-elections.
Yediyurappa resigned as Chief Minister on 26 July 2021, with Basavaraj Bommai succeeding him on 28 July 2021.
BSY is a prominent Indian politician from Karnataka, affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). His political journey began with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in college, leading to his role as Karyavaha (Secretary) of the RSS Shikaripur unit in 1970. He was elected to the Shikaripura Town Municipality in 1972 and became its President in 1975. Yediyurappa was imprisoned during the Emergency in India and later became the BJP‘s Shimoga district president in 1985 and Karnataka state president in 1988. He was first elected to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 1983, representing Shikaripura six times.
Yediyurappa’s significant political milestone came in 2008 when he led the BJP to a historic victory in Karnataka, becoming the Chief Minister. His tenure faced a setback in 2011 when he resigned amid corruption charges but was acquitted in 2016. After a brief departure to form the Karnataka Janata Paksha, he rejoined the BJP in 2014 and was elected to the 16th Lok Sabha. He returned as Chief Minister in 2018 but resigned after failing to secure majority support, becoming one of the shortest-serving chief ministers.
In July 2019, amidst a political crisis, Yediyurappa was reappointed Chief Minister for a fourth term. His tenure saw significant events including handling the 2019 Karnataka floods, attracting investments during the World Economic Forum, and passing the Anti Cow-Slaughter bill in 2020. He also led Karnataka in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic with proactive measures.
In July 2021, Yediyurappa resigned as Chief Minister, citing the BJP‘s age-limit rule. His son, B. Y. Vijayendra, was set to contest from Shikaripura in the 2023 elections, as Yediyurappa announced his retirement from active electoral politics. In August 2022, he was appointed to the BJP Central Parliamentary Board, working to strengthen the party’s presence in southern India. He was honored on his 80th birthday in February 2023, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi praising his contributions and inaugurating the Shivamogga airport in his honor.
In 2011, Yediyurappa faced allegations of illegal land de-notification in five cases, leading to his arrest and subsequent conviction for corruption. However, in 2015, the Karnataka High Court quashed these cases, ruling that the previous sanction for prosecution, granted by then-Governor H. R. Bhardwaj, was invalid. The court found the sanction process flawed and remanded the matter for reconsideration. Following this, a special Lokayukta court dismissed four additional FIRs against him.
Yediyurappa was initially arrested on 15 October 2011, following an arrest warrant issued by the Lokayukta court for corruption related to land de-notification. He was granted bail on 8 November 2011 after 23 days in jail. In March 2012, the Karnataka High Court quashed an FIR related to illegal mining, noting a lack of evidence linking Yediyurappa to any misconduct. The Supreme Court temporarily stayed the mining case and ordered a CBI inquiry, which was to be completed within three months. By July 2012, Yediyurappa was granted anticipatory bail concerning another land de-notification case.
Other notable cases dismissed include:
“Operation Kamala” refers to a strategy used in 2008 by former minister G. Janardhana Reddy to gain legislative support and surpass the majority threshold by circumventing the Anti-Defection Law. In 2018, H. D. Kumaraswamy accused the BJP of employing similar tactics to cause defections from his government, leading to its collapse. Yediyurappa defended the operation in a 2019 interview, asserting that it was a legitimate part of the democratic process.