In 2004, during assembly elections, Karnataka was faced with a rather unique dilemma - none of the three main parties that had contested the polls, BJP, JD(S) and Congress had a majority to form a government. Even though BJP had the majority votes, JD(S) partnered with the Congress and in an outcome that would have made Machiavelli proud, a coalition government was formed, leaving BJP crying into its sleeve. Congress's Dharam Singh, with a little help from Deve Gowda, ex-PM and ragi mudde activist, became Karnataka CM.

Not for long. In 2006, H D Kumaraswamy withdrew support from the Congress and went with outstretched arms towards BJP, leaving Congress scratching its head. BJP and JD(S) struck a deal - JD (S)'s HDK would serve as Chief Minister for 20 months and BJP's Yeddy, then deputy CM, would serve as CM after him for another 20, before the next assembly elections.

In 2007, however, there was a storm brewing - all was not well between in the politically arranged marriage of

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Now that Yeddyurappa is finally going out, Karnataka is looking out for a new chief minister. Here are some names doing the rounds, and what you can expect from them:

Jagadish Shettar: A Lingayat from northern Karnataka, the 56-year-old leader hails from a trader sub-sect, and is now the panchayat raj and rural development minister. The Lingayats, who can swing elections in the northern districts, had supported Yeddyurappa, so Shettar could be a smart strategic replacement. Shettar has been in the BJP for almost as long as Yeddyurappa, though he hasn't distinguished himself with any big initiative. He was unhappy when he was made speaker of the assembly when Yeddyurappa began his term. The Reddy brothers, now discredited by the Lokayukta report, arm-twisted Yeddyurappa into giving him a ministerial berth. Yeddyurappa hates him for that, and may short-circuit his chances.

Sadananda Gowda: True to his name ('always happy'),  he is always sporting a 1,000-watt smile. Hailing from coastal

Read More »from Karnataka CM probables

At the Lokayukta office, located next to the Vidhana Soudha, a fleet of TV broadcast vans stood lined up, waiting for footage on the Lokayukata's report on illegal mining. Wednesday was a big day: Lokayukta Santosh Hegde would submit the long-awaited and prematurely leaked report that could bring down the Yeddyurappa government any moment.

The van standing closest to the Lokayukata office  belonged to Janashri, a Kannada channel run by the Reddy brothers. The report, submitted later in the day, indicted Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, but it is common knowledge that the ones who profited the most from mining are the Reddy brothers. Yeddyurappa finds himself pronounced guilty on at least on three counts, one of them being that a mining company paid kickbacks of Rs 10 crore to a trust run by his sons, and by cheque. But the Reddys, if rumours are to  be believed, make that much every two days from illegal mining. Yeddyurappa may end up paying a heavy price. He could well look like a

Read More »from All the action from the Lokayukta’s office

By naming Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram in the telecom scandal, former minister A Raja has begun a chess game that he hopes will eventually get him out of jail.

Accused of causing a loss of Rs 1.7 lakh crore by giving away mobile spectrum cheap, Raja told a court yesterday Chidambaram and Manmohan Singh were fully aware of what he was doing with the national asset.

A lawyer himself, Raja has achieved his immediate objective of putting the Congress on the defensive. The BJP is already demanding the resignation of Manmohan Singh, acknowledged as 'clean', and Chidambaram, finance minister when the scam took place. By flinging mud at them, Raja's immediate objective is to divert attention from his own misdeeds.

Predictably, Chidambaram has rejected the demand for his resignation, saying he had only looked at the equity aspect of the deal, and not at the sale of spectrum. Raja and Kanimozhi, two prominent DMK leaders, are in jail in connection with the

Read More »from Raja’s clever opening gambit