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Who will be the next CM of Karnataka?
According to reports, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has finally tendered his resignation to Bharatiya Janata Party President Nitin Gadkari on Thursday evening.
Speculations are rife about who will take over as the chief minister of the BJP's first state government in south India, which has weathered a number of revolts and controversies.
Rediff.com takes a look at the men and women who have emerged as the front-runners in the race to the CM's chair.
D V Sadananda Gowda is a former president of the Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He is a Member of Parliament representing the Udupi Chikmagalur constituency.
He has been pitch-forked into the reckoning as a chief ministerial candidate following the resignation of B S Yeddyruppa on Thursday because he is seen as a non-controversial candidate.
He is supposed to be close aide of the outgoing chief minister.
A lawyer by profession, he grew up and did his education in Sullia taluk in Dakshina Kannada district of the state.
He started his career in politics at a young age beginning as an activist of the party's youth wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad. He was also involved in the cooperative and labour movements of his native district.
He first came into the limelight when he turned giant-killer and defeated the well-entrenched Congress stalwart Janardhan Poojary from Mangalore in the 2004 general elections.
In the 2009 elections, he was shifted to the neighbouring Udupi Chikmagalur constituency and duly won.
In June 2007 he was one of key players in BJP forming their first government South of Vindyas...
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Jagadish Shettar: Lingayat leader; choice of BSY rebels
Jagadish Shettar, the present state rural development minister, is the first choice of the Yeddyurappa rebels.
His candidature may be considered on the ground that he is a also a Lingayat leader like Yeddyurappa. For the BJP, the Lingayat votes are extremely crucial and if they are looking to safeguard it then Shettar would be the way to go.
However, Yeddyurappa may oppose his candidature as he has always said that if at all the BJP is planning on naming a Lingayat leader then there should be none other than him.
Shettar not only has the backing of a large number of his party colleagues, but is also very good with the voter. Although he does not have the charisma of Yeddyurappa, he still can manage to pull votes for the party.
A large number within the Yeddyurappa group may accept Shettar and he is also an instant choice for the rebel group as well which makes him a good candidate for the BJP.
Dr V S Acharya: BSY's first choice; not a leader of masses
A party loyalist from the coastal belt of Karnataka, Dr V S Acharya appears to be the ideal choice for the BJP at the moment, since he is also Yeddyurappa's first choice.
He enjoys a clean image and moreover has no detractors and also no enemies within the party. He has no great political ambitions and is not seen as a threat to anyone in the party.
However, he is not a hit with the masses and has not won an election. If Yeddyurappa manages to have his way, then the high command too would not mind the candidature of Acharya as a compromise candidate.
K S Eshwarappa: Party loyalist; may face opposition from BSY camp
Hailing from the Kuruba community, K S Eshwarappa is an acceptable candidate to a large number of the BJP leaders in Karnataka.
Although the head of the state unit of BJP may not be able to work his magic with the voters, the party would still consider him due to his loyalty. He may face a bit of an opposition from the Yeddyurappa camp, but if the high command puts its foot down, then he may just sail through.
What the BJP high command is looking for is an immediate replacement to save the image of the party, and elections are not their immediate concern. The worry is not so much with the voters from the villages but the middle-class voters who have been demanding this change.
Moreover, Eshwappa has been a loyalist since several decades and his candidature is something that the high command would consider very seriously.
Shobha Karandlage: Faces opposition from the Reddy camp
This minister is a personal favourite of Yeddyurappa. Hailing from the second most powerful community in Karnataka -- the Vokkaliga community, Yeddyurappa had once said that only she can replace him.
Although a capable leader and a hit among the cadres, she still would not be an acceptable candidate for the high command since she is a first timer in the cabinet.
Moreover her candidature will not be acceptable to R Ashok, another Vokkaliga leader, since he is senior to her. Moreover she would also not be acceptable to the Reddy brothers' camp since they had demanded that she be kept out of the ministry if the government in Karnataka had to be saved.
Some in the party consider her to be too arrogant and hence she may not be the first choice. Yeddyurappa too today is aware of this and hence he has put her second on his list after Dr Acharya.
R Ashok: Prominent Vokkaliga leader; may break into JD-S vote bank
The home minister of Karantaka, R Ashok is the most popular Vokkaliga leader in the BJP today.
He could be a likely successor since he has a very balanced equation in the party. He has not antagonised anyone including Yeddyurappa.
As a vote puller through the state, the party may still have its doubts since he is popular with the city voter in Mysore and Bangalore.
Will the BJP want to hurt the Lingayat vote bank and capitalise on a Vokkaliga vote bank, would be the question if they choose Ashok.
However, if the BJP intends breaking into the Vokkaliga vote bank of the opposition Janata Dal-Secular then Ashok could be the right candidate. But the fact would remain that the Vokkaliga votes would still be split unlike the Lingayat bank which is dedicated to the BJP in the state.
Suresh Kumar: Favourite of RSS; 'not a long term candidate'
S Suresh Kumar, the law minister of Karnataka, is Yeddyurappa's third choice after Acharya and Shobha.
He would be acceptable to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha and also to the rest of the party. Although many swear by his honesty and commitment, if the party thinks on a long term basis, they may not accept his candidature since he cannot be the face of the party during an election.
Ananth Kumar: Faces stiff opposition from BSY
Ananth Kumar has been a candidate in the running for the post of CM ever since the BJP won the election in the state.
Although he is capable of making the right noises in New Delhi with the high command, he is one candidate Yeddyurappa will oppose tooth and nail.
The rivalry between the two is not something that is hidden.
While Kumar, a flamboyant leader, may be acceptable to many in the rebel camp, the danger is that Yeddyurappa will go out of his way to split the party if Kumar is chosen as his successor.
While Kumar is ambitious and would want the post of Karnataka CM, he may not be able to make it if Yeddyurappa has a say in naming his successor.
He is a senior in the party and is capable of pulling votes for the party in the cities, but his biggest problem will be the opposition from the entire Yeddyurappa camp if named successor.