18 June,2009 04:36 PM IST | | PTI
V Somanna, who defected to BJP from the Congress in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections, was today rewarded with a ministerial berth in the B S Yeddyurappa government. Somanna was today administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Rameshwar Thakur at Raj Bhavan in the presence of the Chief Minister.
Housing Minister S N Krishnaiah Shetty resigned yesterday to pave the way for Somanna's induction, as the Yeddyurappa government had already reached the constitutionally maximum permissible ministry size of 34 for the state. A four-time MLA, Somanna was elected on a Congress ticket from Govindarajanagar in the Assembly elections last year, but gave up the seat after joining the BJP.
An influential leader in parts of this city, he played a role in the victory of senior BJP leader H N Ananthkumar from Bangalore South in the Lok Sabha polls. Somanna had served as a minister a decade ago in the erstwhile Janata Dal ministry headed by late J H Patel. BJP is keen to utilise Somanna's services in elections to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike or Greater Bangalore City Corporation, expected later this year.
"I left the Congress as there was a stifling atmosphere there. Some Congress leaders tried to contain my growing stature. I was hurt", Somanna told reporters.
