Bangalore, India: November 13m 2007 – IR Summary -The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken power Karnataka on Monday for the first time, hoping it would be a good start for the party to expand in South India.

B.S. Yeddyurappa of BJP has taken oath as Chief Minister. Yeddyurappa and four ministers have taken oath of office here in open, where fireworks greeted them in addition to thousands of supporters, who watched the ceremony.

BJP had to struggle hard to get Karnataka’s Chief Minister ship, at the beginning their coalition partner did not agree to share the power and later on Congress party obstructed and got the President rule. However, BJP won the battle and entered the South successfully. It is the ninth States of India where BJP and its allies are in power.

The party is seeking a third term in its western stronghold of Gujarat in polls next month and 10 states are due to elect new assemblies next year amid continued speculation over the prospect of early national elections as per Reuters.

"The BJP's triumph in Karnataka will embolden it to expand its southern base," the Hindustan Times newspaper said in an editorial on Monday.

"This is bad news for the Congress, as a combination of the BJP and powerful regional parties make it that much harder for it to grow in the region," it said referring to the national ruling party.