SHIVAMOGGA: Much was talked about when BJP’s BS Yeddyurappa stepped down as Karnataka Chief Minister last week, within three days of assuming office, in the absence of a clear majority. Ironically, none of the four CMs from Shivamogga district — this includes Yeddyurappa — were able to complete full term in office. Shivamogga has given four chief ministers to the state. The third chief minister, Kadidal Manjappa was the first to scale up to high office from the district in 1956. Within three months, he made way for S Nijalingappa.
S Bangarappa was the second from the district to become CM in 1990. The then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi announced the name of Bangarappa after sacking Veerendra Patil. After the demise of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, the then AICC president Seetharam Kesari with whom Bangarappa had serious differences, forced the latter to call it quits.
Socialist J H Patel became the chief minister in 1996. When H D Deve Gowda left the job to become Prime Minister, Patel got the chance to rule the state. The JD(S)-BJP alliance came to power in 2005, and as per their agreement, the BJP supported H D Kumaraswamy to become the CM. But, when it was the turn of Yeddyurappa to rule the state JD(S) didn’t support him in 2007. In November 2007, Yeddyurappa became CM for the second time. He was forced to step down by the party high command over land de-notification issue in 2011.