Here's how the prominent leaders in the fray in Karataka elections have performed.
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa finds himself in yet another mess, and this time the trouble has been caused after Governor H R Bharadwaj accorded sanction for his prosecution in connection with a land scam.
Former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, who has decided to rejoin the Bharatiya Janata Party, said on Tuesday that his return was unconditional for the larger interest of the country and for the party's Prime Ministerial nominee Narendra Modi.
Former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has told the state executive meeting of his newly-floated Karnataka Janata Paksha that the merger with Bharatiya Janata Party has not materialised.
With opinion polls predicting a hung assembly in Karnataka and the possibility that the JD-S could be the 'king maker' after the polls, H D Deve Gowda stays mum about his party's post-election strategy.
Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Karnataka over the border row, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Friday said Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa is heaping 'grave atrocities' on Marathi people in the neighbouring state."Marathis are being assaulted with sticks and guns and beaten up like cattle. If the Karnataka government wants to display its masochism by attacking Marathi people, it should remember that Maharashtra is land of Shivaji Maharaj," fumed Thackeray.
The state government has plunged into a crisis after 14 dissident MLAs -- 11 from the Congress and three from the Janaat Dal-Secular -- resigned and two independents withdrew support.
Former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa officially rejoined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday evening. After a marathon meeting with members of the BJP at the Taj West End hotel Bangalore, the Lingayat strongman officially merged his Karnataka Janatha Party with the BJP.
The apex court, however, made it clear that the swearing-in and the government formation in the state would be subject to the final outcome of the case before it.
Angry BJP workers flung chairs and other furniture and raised slogans against party president Amit Shah and even tried to stop the cars of Vijayendra and other leaders as they were leaving.
The BJP is has set its sight on regaining power by winning 150 out of 224 assembly seats.
Former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and Housing Minister V Somanna on Wednesday appeared before a Lokayukta court in a case relating to alleged irregularities in denotification of land.
"The Supreme court allowing us to contest election is important to us. We welcome it... We are politicians... This verdict is important to us," disqualified Janata Dal-Secular MLA from Hunsur A H Vishwanath told reporters in New Delhi.
He had changed the spelling of his name from Yediyurappa to Yeddyurappa after he had to resign as chief minister in 2007.
Karnaka Janata Party's Shobha Karandlage, who is considered close to B S Yeddyurappa, has lost in Rajajinagar despite a massive election campaign.
On January 29, Krishna resigned from all the posts held by him in the grand old party.
The Karnataka state executive meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party held on Friday in Bangalore spent a considerable amount of time discussing the election strategy, and more importantly, the return of Karnataka Janata Paksha chief B S Yeddyurappa into the party.
Those present in the jam-packed courtroom number six burst into laughter when the judge shared his moment of coming across this funny stuff on Whatsapp.
Varun Gandhi was on Saturday dropped as general secretary by Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah who constituted his new team, inducting former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa as vice president and new Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh pointsman Ram Madhav as general secretary.
No chief minister from the Bharatiya Janata Party and Kumaraswamy's Janata Dal-Secular could manage to complete the full term in Karnataka.
BJP leaders said they were mulling moving the Supreme Court in the light of Thursday's developments.
A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court resumed hearing Opposition Congress party's petition challenging Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala's decision to invite BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa to form a government in Karnataka after elections in the state threw up a hung house. Here are the top developments that took place in the apex court.
South India is likely to give surprise verdict. Senior Delh-based journalist K G Suresh analyses if Modi matters
Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar on Wednesday sacked Excise Minister Renukacharya from his cabinet.
With only four days to go for the big battle to begin, psephologist Dr Sandeep Shastri discusses with Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa the trends in South India this poll season.
The Congress-Janata Dal-Secular coalition faces the threat of losing its majority in the assembly if the resignations are accepted as its current tally is 116 in the 224 member House.
Amid fanfare, hundreds of candidates, including key politicians B S Yeddyurappa, G Parameshwara and Siddaramaiah, entered the fray on Monday for the May five assembly elections as a festive atmosphere prevailed in many segments.
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi tweeted, "Gifted to us by the BJP president, our campaign in Karnataka is off to a fabulous start. He says Yeddyurappa ran the most corrupt Government ever... True."
Hitting out at L K Advani, Karnataka Janatha Paksha spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar has alleged that the senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and others had received funds from former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa.
In continuing desertions from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in poll-bound Karnataka, three more Members of Legislative Assembly on Thursday quit the party, apparently to join other parties before the assembly elections in May.
The state Congress has written to Sitharaman, asking her to protect the interests of the state by retaining the exhibition in Bengaluru as she was a Rajya Sabha member from the state.
The Karnataka high court on Wednesday ordered issue of notice to former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa on a petition challenging an Election Commission order recognising him as the president of Karnataka Janata Party.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday released its second list of candidates for the Lok Sabha polls. The Election Commission has cleared 52 candidates of which 20 are from Karnataka.
Congress leaders KC Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah were involved in attempts to topple the JD-S-Congress government in Karnataka.
Keeping the Bharatiya Janata Party government on tenterhooks, Karnataka Janata Party President B S Yeddyurappa on Thursday declined to divulge whether some more Ministers and MLAs loyal to him would quit.
Amid the looming threat of more resignations by ruling Bharatiya Janata Party ministers and legislators loyal to B S Yeddyurappa, Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar Wednesday said his government is stable and that he did not expect further resignations.
Yeddyurappa will leave no stone unturned to ensure defeat for his rival Karnataka BJP chief K S Eshwarappa, who is contesting from Shimoga constituency. However, Eshwarappa won't take things lying down. Vicky Nanjappa reports.
The Bharatiya Janata Party government in Karnataka was on Wednesday thrown into fresh quagmire as two ministers resigned and 11 more MLAs loyal to former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa announced their decision to quit the assembly membership, raising questions about its government's stability.
Many well wishers of Yeddyurappa are still hopeful that he will go back to the BJP fold, says Vicky Nanjappa
Karnataka Law Minister might just have the edge over KJP's Shobha Karandlage, who is on a revenge path, at Rajajinagar. Vicky Nanjappa reports.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances