Bengaluru:  Chief-Minister-in-waiting B.S. Yeddyurappa has reportedly changed his name back to B.S. Yediyurappa. In 2007, apparently guided by astrologers’ advice, Yediyurappa had changed his name to ‘B.S. Yeddyurappa.’ A recent letter on a BJP letterhead sent from his office to BJP National President Amit Shah, his undersigned name is spelt as ‘Yediyurappa.’ 

“B.S. Yediyurappa s/o Siddalingappa, former Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, has changed his name as B.S. Yeddyurappa vide an affidavit dated October 11,” said a statement issued by his personal assistant in 2007. Now again, based on astrologer’s advice, 76-year-old Yeddyurappa who has taken oath as Chief Minister of Karnataka thrice before, has changed his name back to Yediyurappa, said reports from Bengaluru. 

Till 2007, Yeddyurappa (popular as BSY) used to spell his name as ‘Yediyurappa.’ During the BJP-JD(S) Coalition Government, after 20 months, it was the turn of the JD(S) to hand over power to the BJP but H.D. Kumaraswamy, who was in power for the first 20 months, refused to keep up promise, thus denying BSY the Chief Ministership.

A week later, following astrologer’s advice, BSY changed the spelling of his name from ‘Yediyurappa’ to ‘Yeddyurappa.’ The astrologer had advised him to add ‘d’ after ‘d’ as the double ‘d’ would remove negativity.

On November 12, 2007, BSY took oath as the CM and occupied the chair for only seven days. But as JD(S) withdrew support, his Government fell. In May 2008, he became the CM again but served only till 2011. He quit BJP to form Karnataka Janata Party (KJP) in 2013 but retained ‘Yeddyurappa’ as the spelling of his name.

In 2014, back into BJP fold, he contested from Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency on a BJP ticket and won. In 2018, BJP contested the Assembly election and BSY became CM for the third time but had to quit as he did not have the required numbers. 

Interestingly, H.D. Kumaraswamy had changed his name to Kumaaraswamy, as advised by an astrologer that adding another ‘a’ would bring luck to him. However, Kumaraswamy did not insist his name to be spelled as Kumaaraswamy.