Former CM Yediyurappa to stay on in 'Cauvery' as Ashoka’s 'long-term guest'

BENGALURU: More than a month after resigning as chief minister of the state, BS Yediyurappa continues to live in ‘Cauvery’, one of the two designated residences of the CM, the other being ‘Anugraha’.  According to rules, he can continue to stay in Cauvery for three months after demitting office, after which he will either have to vacate or pay rent. Yediyurappa resigned on July 26 after a high-voltage political drama.

Insiders, however, say the 78-year-old Lingayat strongman is in no mood to vacate Cauvery for now, and will continue to stay in the bungalow till the 2023 Assembly elections, as he has got the bungalow allotted through Revenue Minister R Ashoka. Simply put, Yediyurappa will continue to stay in Cauvery as Ashoka’s ‘long-term guest’. Ashoka currently stays at his private residence.

The ‘long-term guest’ arrangement is not new to Karnataka politics. Congress leader Siddaramaiah did something similar after he lost power in 2018. He continued to stay in Cauvery after he got the house allotted to KJ George, who was minister in the JDS-Congress coalition government.

Siddaramaiah remained there as George’s full-time guest till the end of the 14-month coalition government in July 2019, and only after the coalition collapsed, he moved out to the Opposition leader’s official quarters in Seshadripuram. Yediyurappa owns a house -- Dhavalagiri -- in Dollar’s Colony and he was staying there before moving into Cauvery after its renovation in February 2020.CMs overstaying in their official quarters after quitting office is not new in Karnataka. Gundu Rao remained in his official residence for six months after his term ended.

A few, like Ramakrishna Hegde, however, functioned from their personal residence even after becoming chief minister.  It can be recalled that Yediyurappa was given Cabinet-rank status by his successor Basavaraj Bommai. Yediyurappa, however, declined the offer.