B. S. Yediyurappa

Bookanakere Siddalingappa Yediyurappa // ^ⓘ (born 27 February 1943), commonly known as B. S. Yediyurappa or BSY, is an Indian politician from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He served as chief minister of Karnataka several times from 1983 to 2022 as a member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. However, his tenure was not continuous throughout that period.

In 2008, Yediyurappa resumed office as the chief minister of Karnataka after leading BJP to victory in the state's legislative assembly elections, marking the first time the BJP formed a state government in South India. In 2011, he resigned after being indicted in a corruption case but was acquitted in 2016. In 2012, citing alleged ill-treatment by the BJP high command, Yediyurappa left the party to establish his own political outfit, the Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP). In 2014, he merged the KJP with the BJP and was subsequently elected to the 16th Lok Sabha from the Shimoga constituency. He later resigned from the Lok Sabha following his election to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in the state election held in 2018, after which he was sworn in as chief minister of Karnataka for the third time. However, he failed to secure a majority in the Assembly and resigned two days later. H. D. Kumaraswamy subsequently took the oath as chief minister. In July 2019, the Kumaraswamy government lost its majority following the resignation of 17 MLAs. Yediyurappa was again sworn in as chief minister and, in the by-elections held later that year, consolidated his majority.

Yediyurappa resigned as chief minister on 26 July 2021, the second anniversary of his fourth term. He was succeeded by Basavaraj Bommai on 28 July 2021.