This time, aspiring candidates are presenting neat applications. A bio-data, running into a minimum of four pages and mentioning all their credentials, letters of recommendation and several papers mentioning their loyalty towards their respective party. However, in Karnataka, at least this time, it is very evident that the elections are going to be fought mainly on the caste factor.
Siddaramaiah said his main task was to bring the Congress back to power in the state.
After the expansion, the second by the coalition government, the strength of the ministry rose to 30.
The star campaigner of the The Bharatiya Janata Party, B S Yeddyurappa, who is hoping to capitalise on public sympathy after the Janata Dal-Secular did him in within seven days of taking charge as chief minister, has said his party will provide free power to farmers who own irrigation pump sets up to 10 horse power in the state.
Thackeray announced "complete support" to Rao's "fight" against the Bharatiya Janata Party's alleged anti-people policies and to uphold federal spirit, it said.
Both the BJP and the Congress have been making hectic efforts to rope in Prakash, who hails from the dominant Lingayat community, to its fold along with his supporters.
An expansion of the Janata Dal (Secular)-Bharatiya Janata Party Council of Ministers in Karnataka will take place within a fortnight, state Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said Tuesday.
The current situation in Karnataka is such that if the controversial Reddy brothers -- state ministers and Bellary's mining tycoons -- are ousted, everyone has something to gain, believes Vicky Nanjappa.
Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa speaks to Karnataka Home Minister Dr V S Acharya, former minister and opposition Janata Dal-Secular minister M C Nanaiah, and state Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde to gauge the various conflicts that are complicating the ongoing political crisis in the state, and presents a comparative report.
JD-S to decide on action against Kumaraswamy and supporters
Despite the national executive's decision to suspend him, Kumaraswamy said he continued to be the legislature party's leader.
Home Minister P Chidambaram on Friday requested Justice N Santosh Hegde, who resigned from the post of Lokayukta of Karnataka on June 23 over the manner in which the government had treated some of his reports, to reconsider his decision.
H D Deve Gowda may have created an impact of sorts when he made the speech in Parliament, which was debating whether to dissolve the Karnataka Legislative Assembly or not.
Whether I have become a political untouchable now or not, will be decided by the people of Karnataka, says JD-S supremo H D Deve Gowda.
Describing the attack by self-proclaimed moral police on youths in a Mangalore pub as an ugly and heinous incident, Janata Dal-Secular chief, H D Deve Gowda on Monday accused Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa of being responsible for "talibanisation" of Karnataka.
Kumaraswamy and Yediyurappa as CM and Deputy CM of Karnataka.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader B S Yediyurappa took the oath as Deputy Chief Minister.
Yediyurappa, who was deputy chief minister and finance minister in the Janata Dal Secular-BJP coalition government headed by H D Kumaraswamy, said he received a call from the Governor when he was at the Vaishno Devi shrine on Thursday.
A couple of independent MLAs led by Vatal Nagraj of the Vatal party said that it is not correct to form the government especially when a petition seeking disqualification of the JD-S MLAs is pending before the speaker.
After days of hard bargaining and brinksmanship, Chief Minister Kumaraswamy has finally consented to become deputy CM as per the arrangement between the two parties, sources revealed. But there is one hitch still left for Yediyurappa. Kumaraswamy's brother Revanna is not in favour of the deal, but an overwhelming majority of the JD-S legislators, who stand to lose their perks if the assembly is dissolved, are expected to convince Revanna at a crucial JD-S party meet today.
Gowda is not expected to come to any conclusion immediately and would seek another round of talks with the BJP in which he would try and convince them to continue with the same combination.
Will power be transferred or will the people have to go to polls is the million dollar question? It all depends on some of the key players who can either make or break the government in Karnataka.
Karnataka CM H D Kumaraswamy has said that he will step down on October 3, irrespective of whether power is transferred to the BJP.Senior JD (S) leaders have advised the chief minister to continue in power till the issue is sorted out.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Yashwant Sinha, who is in charge of party affairs in Karnataka, briefed the top party leadership about the crisis in the state following the suspension of talks between the BJP and JD (S) abt the impending power transfer
In a sudden development, Janata Dal-Secular has suspended its negotiations with the Bharatiya Janata Party on the transfer of power in Karnataka.
On Friday, four of the 14 legislators had visited the Siddhivinayak temple in central Mumbai and offered prayers to Lord Ganesh.
"JD-S will not transfer power to BJP. See what all will happen on October 3," Singh, a former chief minister, told reporters in Bangalore on Thursday.
The former prime minister said that he will take a decision about transferring power to the BJP after meeting top party leaders on September 27.
When the two parties formed the government, they mutually agreed that the Janata Dal (Secular) will hand over power to the BJP on October 3, 2007.
The meeting will take place at Krishna, the chief minister's official residence on Saturday at 8 am.
Going a step further after agreeing to swear before god, Janata Dal (Secular) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Monday said he was ready to undergo a narco analysis test to prove his claim that Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa through an aide tried to strike a 'compromise' with him.
Janata Dal-Secular leader H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday alleged that Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa made fresh attempts to 'buy peace' with him in a bid to bring an end to the slugfest between them.
Taking the floor test for the fourth time, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Thursday won the vote of confidence in the state assembly amid empty Opposition benches following walkout by Congress and boycott\\nby the Janata Dal-Secular.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that he spoke to Deve Gowda to enquire about his and his wife's health.
In a fresh salvo against Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, Janata Dal-Secular leader H D Kumaraswamy alleged that he and his family had secured "illegal gains" through donations of Rs 27.18 crore made to a trust run by the CM's son.
They are the contenders, the leaders of parties that will finally form a government in Karnataka.
Celebrations on New Year's Day should last only till 1 am, Health Minister K Sudhakar said.
The new ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor T N Chaturvedi in the Vidhan Soudha premises.
Former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister M P Prakash passed away at a private hospital in Bangalore on Wednesday after a pro longed battle with cancer.