Name: Sonia Rajiv Gandhi (formerly Maino)
Party: Congress
Title: President, Congress Parliamentary Party, since 2004. Also serves as President of the Congress Party since 1998, and will soon be named President of the United Progressive Alliance.
Qualifications: A high school graduate whose higher education consists of a brief language program she took to learn English
How She Got Here: Married Rajiv Gandhi in 1968. Was India's 'First Lady' from 1984-1989 when he served as Prime Minister. Became a general recluse until 1998, when she finally kicked Sitaram Kesri out as the Congress President, much to the joy of many party members, and was elected to the Lok Sabha. She has become a power center in the party, and has been actively involved in the process of coalition-building (She essentially pulled down the BJP Government in 1998) which has managed to bring the party back to power in 2004.
Role: After refusing to become the Prime Ministership (which was hers for the taking), she will pull the strings from outside, deal with coalition politics. If Manmohan's administration turns sour for her, he will likely be removed.
Name: Lal Krishna Advani
Name: Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Name: Laloo Prasad Yadav
Name: Sharad Pawar
Name: George Fernandes
Name: J. Jayalalitha
Party: All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Title(s): General-Secretary of the AIADMK, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and former Parliamentarian
Qualifications: Former actress with immense support base. Knows well how to play the political game, but has done very little to help Tamil Nadu.
How She Got Here: Took over the party upon it's founder's death (a personal friend of hers) and has kept an iron fist clenched around the party. Censors the opposition when in power and her supporters are almost crazy in their level of worship. Has pulled down the BJP-led government in 1999 successfully. Had gone from bringing the AIADMK down to its most disastrous levels to bringing it full-swing.
Role: After being wiped out in the LS Elections, J.J. is working on ridding herself of the anti-incumbency before the next elections. Will also keep cordial relations with the Congress to ensure her government is kept in place.
Name: M Karunanidhi
Name: Chandrababu Naidu
Party: Telegu Desam Party
Name: Bal Thackeray
Party: Shiv Sena
Title:
Qualifications: A former cartoonist who found his social views to strike a note with Maharashtrians and founded the hard-line Shiv Sena party in the 1960's.
How He Got Here: Nationalistic sentiments were played out to an extreme by the Shiv Sena, gradually increasing its popularity, especially in Mumbai.
Name: Mayawati Kumari
Party: Bahujan Samaj Party
Title(s): President, BSP. Served as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for 4 months in 1995, then 6 months in 1997 and finally 16 months from 2002-2003, each time with the backing of the BJP.
Qualifications: Post-Graduate in Law
How She Got Here: Mentored by the BSP's President, Kanshi Ram, to take over his role. Struck a strong note and created more broad-based support for the party, which went from 4 seats (1998) to 19 seats (2004).
Role: Will continue to opt for the Samajwadi's toppling in Uttar Pradesh. Was seen as a wild card supporter of the NDA, but now she will stand as the largest non-aligned party.
Name: Mulayam Singh Yadav
Name: Harkishan Singh Surjeet
Name: