I HAVE everything to gain and nothing to lose�. This was the remark made as a prospective candidate for the Bangalore South Lok Sabha seat, by S. M. Krishna, as the process of candidate selection was on in the Congress party, before the recently- concluded elections. His residence in the posh Sadashivanagar locality of Bangalore was teeming with admirers and party men, who all wanted him to contest the elections.

But by one of those quirky diktats of the Congress party, which refused to allow Rajya Sabha members to contest the elections, Krishna fell out of the electoral race, and campaigned in limited constituencies, as the party touched a new low in Karnataka, by winning just six seats. It was a bitter Krishna who, in a couple of interviews, blamed the party for not having chosen its candidates properly and also for not having allowed him to contest.

Having been so candid, he certainly did not expect to be called in to serve in the Union Cabinet. No wonder, on May 22, the day the new Dr. Manmohan Singh ministry was to be sworn in, Krishna was back at his comfortable residence in Bangalore, planning for his afternoon game of tennis, with one of his partners. He actually wanted to start a little early that day, at 2.30 p. m instead of the usual 4 p. m.

And even as the partner was saying his good byes, the call came from Delhi that changed his life and surely his outlook forever. It was both Dr. Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, who called one after another and asked him to be in Delhi by evening, to be sworn in as a cabinet minister. It was then a mad race to catch the flight, within the next 45 minutes, without even bothering to have his lunch. And as it happened, it was one of those low cost airlines, where no lunch is served.

He had a surprise co- passenger in the governor of Karnataka too, Rameshwar Thakur, whose ADC paid for the sandwich which Krishna had to buy to keep the pangs of hunger away. His son- in- law Siddhartha, according to his mother- in- law, Prema, is someone who can do without a meal easily, unlike Krishna, the � typical Mandyaite� who prefers a good meal and does not want to miss one.

Hailing from the rustic district of Mandya, about 90 kms from Bangalore, where the farmers who grow paddy and sugarcane are comparatively prosperous, irrigated by the Cauvery water for nearly a century, Krishna is however not a typical � Mandyaite�, except for his robust appetite. In fact even way back in 1962, when he first became an MLA at the age of 30, he was known in the district as � English Krishna� for his sophisticated ways and suave manners. Quite a contrast from the rustic ways and robust language of his fellow- Mandyaites.

It is this personality trait carefully cultivated and perfected over decades, which has landed Krishna the most coveted of the portfolios.

Though US- educated International Law degree holder and a Fulbright scholar, Krishna�s exposure to international issues and diplomacy has been extremely limited.

One known not to extend his brief and preferring to stay within the confines of what his party chooses him to do, Krishna had not even in his wildest imagination thought of occupying the coveted office in the South Block.

However, his biggest asset is his equanimity and capacity to grasp issues quickly. Being the pragmatist without a baggage of too much exposure of international diplomacy, he is sure to bring in a breath of fresh air into the high office he occupies now.

HE HAS a lot to prove and be proud of too. He is only the second south Indian to occupy the exalted office of the External Affairs minister, after P. V. Narasimha Rao, and the first man from Karnataka to occupy any of the four ministries in Raisina Hill, if George Fernandes is discounted, as he never represented Karnataka. A fact which has gone almost unnoticed in the excitement surrounding his elevation.

For Krishna, the man, who is known to rarely lose his cool, and even if he does can camouflage it with one of his witty one- liners and sarcasms, the new job is going to test his people skills. But what is going to come to his aid is his years of experience dealing with his fellow- Mandyaites, known to test his patience with their loud and garrulous ways.

He has been tested to the hilt in the past too, when the notorious Veerappan had kidnapped the Kannada film icon Rajkumar and gave Krishna, then the Chief Minister of Karnataka, sleepless nights for weeks. But he never lost his poise publicly even once.

He certainly does not have the overwhelming international experience like one of his predecessors, Natwar Singh had or the amazing experience, skill and erudition in national and international affairs of Pranab Mukherjee. But what he certainly has is the capacity to choose his words carefully and stay within his limits, and listen to good advice.