Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai will continue on the post for another term after the upcoming assembly elections, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Wednesday, even as the party is yet to make an announcement in this regard.
Polling for the 224-member Karnataka legislative assembly is scheduled for May 10 and counting of votes will take place on May 13.

Addressing a press conference in Vijayapura, Fadnavis said owing to the “best” governance of Bommai, the party’s national leadership has decided to continue him also for another term. “BJP will come out with a clear majority in the election and no doubt Bommai will lead the next government,” Fadnavis said.

Union home minister Amit Shah, about two years ago, had announced that the BJP would contest the elections in Karnataka under Bommai’s leadership and that he would continue as the chief minister, he said .

Fadnavis exuded confidence that the people of Karnataka will continue supporting the BJP owing to the “work being done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as the Bommai government”.

A Karnataka BJP functionary, requesting anonymity, said: “Fadnavis’ opinions were honoured on many previous occasions by the party high command. Since he has spoken about continuation of Bommai for another term, it’s likely to be final.”

However, BJP’s Belagavi (Rural) district president and former legislator Sanjay Patil told HT that no one in the state leadership knew about it. He said he did not know how Fadnavis has announced the candidature of Bommai for the CM’s post.

“The party’s high command, based on the circumstances, will select the chief minister and it will be accepted by all,” said Patil, who represented Belagavi Rural constituency twice in 2008 and 2013.

Fadnavis attacked the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) for branding the BJP as “40% government”, saying the opposition parties have no proof to prove their allegation. “The Bommai government has followed transparency in the administration. The ‘40% government’ allegation by the Opposition is politically motivated and baseless,” he added.B