Bengaluru: The Modi-Shah duo has kept everyone guessing in Karnataka. As Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa is a few days away from tendering his resignation, several names are doing rounds as the next chief minister. Political guessing has reached its peak in the state, though nobody is sure of that particular name.

The leaked audio of state BJP chief Nalin Kumar Kateel has escalated the curiosity in the political circle. He said that the next chief minister candidate would 'come from Delhi'. Only PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, who are good at throwing surprises, will take the final call.

This is an attempt to list the names of the probable chief minister of Karnataka.

1. CT Ravi: Chikkamagaravalli Thimme Gowda Ravi, current National General Secretary of BJP, is one of the contenders. Also, he was the Cabinet minister in the Karnataka Government. Being a staunch RSS man, Ravi is vocal about Hindutva issues. He belongs to the dominant Vokkaliga community.
2. Murugesh Nirani: An experienced minister in the Karnataka Cabinet, Nirani's visits to Delhi and Varanasi has created a buzz. He belongs to the Panchamasali community, a significant subsect of the Lingayat community. Also, Nirani is an industrialist who owns a sugar factory in north Karnataka.
3. Basavaraj Bommai: Another leader from North Karnataka, Bommai, is a Yediyurappa loyalist. Currently, he is Minister of State for Home Affairs. Bommai is the son of former chief minister Late SR Bommai. Basavaraj is widely acclaimed for his contributions to innumerable irrigation schemes.
4. DR. CN Ashwath Narayana: Current Deputy Chief Minister Ashwath Narayana was known to harbour chief ministerial aspirations. He is also from the Vokkaliga community, elected from the Malleshwaram constituency.
5. Aravind Bellad: Bellad is elected from Hubli-Dharwad West constituency, the commercial and educational capital of North Karnataka. He belongs to the Panchamasali community, known as the leader of the anti-BSY camp. Bellad, an engineering graduate, has done an MBA from France. However, his lack of experience in power politics is a drawback.
6. Pralhad Joshi: An RSS man, Member of Parliament from Dharwad, is a Cabinet minister in the Modi government. He was also the State President of Karnataka BJP from 2014 to 2016. He has been elected to Lok Sabha in the general elections of 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019. Joshi was known to be close with the late BJP leader Ananth Kumar.