Hours before he was set to quit office, a grim-looking Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa was on Sunday felicitated by the Balija community at the Bengaluru Palace grounds for his service to society.
Balijas are a social group and considered a sub-caste of the Kapu backward community in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
"I feel honoured to be felicitated on the last day of my office as this state's chief minister.
After this function, I will be going to Raj Bhavan in the afternoon to submit my resignation from the post," an emotional Yeddyurappa told about 1,000 people who gathered for the event.
The Karnataka Balija felicitation committee honoured Yeddyurappa for promoting the community to 2A from 3A category, which provides special reservation under the OBC (Other Backward Classes) quota in educational institutes and government service.
Clad in his regular white safari suit, Yeddyurappa was felicitated by the community's leader P.C. Mohan, who represents the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from Bangalore Central Lok Sabha constituency and BJP vice-president and Rajya Sabha member from the state M. Venkaiah Naidu.
Mohan crowned Yeddyurappa with the famous Mysore peta (turban), draped a cream-coloured silk cloth around him and gifted him a basketful of fresh fruits.
Yeddyurappa thanked the community for honouring him on the last day of his office and expressed gratitude to the people for assembling in large number.
"I have decided to resign today (Sunday) as it marks the beginning of the auspicious Shravana month in the Hindu calendar after the end of the inauspicious Ashada masa (month)," Yeddyurappa said in chaste Kannada, the official language of the state.
"In democracy, post, position and fame are not important. They come and go. What I cherish most is the love and respect of the people across the state," he added.
Making his last official speech, Yeddyurappa said though he never dreamt of becoming chief minister in his four-decade long political career, he was indebted to the people of the state for electing him as the first BJP chief minister of south India.
"It is not enough to become a chief minister. It is a very responsible and challenging position to serve the people, who are the masters of the elected representatives in a democratic set-up," he said.
"I have worked day-and-night for the socio-economic development of the state during the last 38 months without rest or sleep," the chief minister asserted.
Recounting the various social and welfare programmes launched by his government, Yeddyurappa said he was proud and satisfied that he could do whatever for the benefit of the people and upliftment of the poor and weaker sections.
"I have no regrets to quit office though am unhappy about the circumstances in which I have been asked to go by my party high command," he said.
"I will devote all my time hereafter to make the party win at least 150 seats in the next assembly elections due in 2013 and form the government again by touring across the state from Monday," Yeddyurappa claimed.