• B.S.Yediyurappa stepped down as the chief minister of Karnataka on July 26, coinciding with his government completing two years in office.

• The 78-year-old BJP veteran who submitted his resignation to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot at the Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru.

• An official notification from the governor’s office said Gehlot has accepted Yediyurappa’s resignation and has dissolved the council of ministers headed by him with immediate effect.

The fourth stint of BSY as CM ends

• Yediyurappa, who played an instrumental role in building the BJP in Karnataka, had served as its state president, Member of Parliament, MLA and deputy chief minister.

• He has never completed a full five-year term in office in any of his four stints as the chief minister.

• Yediyurappa first became chief minister in 2007 when the BJP and JD(S) formed a coalition government. However, his first stint as chief minister, as part of a “rotation” arrangement with the JD(S), lasted barely a week as the JD(S) withdrew support.

• In 2008, Yediyurappa led the BJP to its first big election victory and came to power. However, he had to resign in 2011 after being accused in a  corruption case. 

• After the 2018 election threw up a fractured mandate with the BJP as the single-largest party, Yediyurappa was sworn in as chief minister. But his third stint lasted just three days as the BJP was unable to muster enough support.

Powers and functions of the chief minister: 

• The chief minister of a state is the head of the government and is the real executive authority (de facto executive).

• Article 164 simply states that the chief minister shall be appointed by the governor, but this does not mean that the governor is free to appoint anyone as chief minister. Generally, the leader of the majority party in the State Legislative Assembly is appointed by the governor of the concerned state as the chief minister of that state. 

• The chief minister’s oath is administered by the governor. 

In relation to the council of ministers

• As the head of the council of ministers, the CM enjoys the following powers:

• The governor appoints only those persons as ministers who are recommended by the CM.

• He allocates and reshuffles the portfolios among ministers.

• In case of difference of opinion, the CM can advise the governor to dismiss the concerned minister or he can ask the minister to resign from his post

• The CM presides over the meetings of the council of ministers and influences its decisions.

• The activities of all the ministers are guided, directed, controlled and coordinated by the CM.

• As the CM is the head of the council of ministers, his resignation or death automatically leads to the dissolution of the council of ministers. Thus he can bring about the collapse of the council of ministers by resigning from his office.

In relation to the governor

• The CM is the main channel of communication between the governor and the council of ministers. 

It is the duty of the CM to:

• Communicate to the governor all decisions regarding the proposals for legislation and relating to the administration of the affairs of the state.

• Furnish the information relating to the administration of the affairs of the state and proposals for legislation as the governor may call for.

• He advises the governor with regard to the appointment of important officials like the Advocate-General of the State, chairman and members of the State Public Service Commission, State Election Commissioner and the like.

In relation to State Legislature

• Regarding the governor’s summoning and proroguing of the sessions of the State Legislature, the CM advises the governor.

• He can, at any time, recommend the governor for the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly.

• The CM announces the government policies on the floor of the house of the State Assembly.

The CM enjoys some other powers and functions also. They are:

• He acts as a vice-chairman of the concerned Zonal Council by rotation, holding office for a period of one year at a time.

• The CM is a member of the Inter-State Council and the National Development Council, both headed by the Prime Minister. He is the chief spokesperson of the state government.

• He is the political head of the services. He is the leader of the party in power. As the leader of the State, he meets various sections of people and receives memoranda from them regarding all their problems, and so on.

• The CM acts as the crisis manager-in-chief at the political level during emergencies.

• Even though the CM plays a very important role in the state administration, the governor’s discretionary powers reduce to some extent the power, authority, influence, prestige and role of the chief minister in the state administration.

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