Former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah believes coalition government to be safe as 14 MLAs resign
Bengaluru: Amid a flurry of resignations by the ruling combine MLAs, senior congress leader and coalition coordination committee chief Siddaramaiah Saturday asserted that the government in Karnataka would continue, even as the BJP said it had nothing to do with the resignations.
Putting a question mark over the government's survival, 14 MLAs of the ruling JD(S)-Congress alliance in Karnataka have submitted their resignation to the Speaker.
"Fourteen MLAs from Congress and JD(S), including Anand Singh, have submitted resignation from the Assembly to the Speaker...we also brought to matter to the notice of governor," JD(S) MLA A H Vishwanath told reporters after meeting Governor Vajubhai Vala.
Singh submitted his resignation to the Speaker earlier this week.
The BJP, which has come under attack from the combine for allegedly trying to destabilise the government by luring MLAs, clarified that it had nothing to do with the resignation of the legislators.
State BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa said his party would take "appropriate decision at the appropriate time."
Asked if BJP, the single largest party, would make any move to stake claim before the Governor, Yeddyurappa said "We will not do such things.
"We will wait and watch the developments that are unfolding," he said.
JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda said the ball was in the Speakers court.
Amid the political turmoil, Siddaramaiah said AICC general secretary Venugopal would arrive to hold talks with leaders.
"Nothing will happen..Venugopal (AICC General Secretary) will come (to Bengaluru)..nothing will happen, government will continue," Siddaramaiah said.
"How it (government) will be unstable? Resignation has to get accepted right? It has not been accepted yet.
Siddaramaiah, who is also the CLP leader said, he will speak to MLAs. "We are trying to contact them.."
Trying to find a solution to the crisis, Minister and Congress troubleshooter D K Shivakumar held talks with four Congress MLAs Ramalinga Reddy, ST Somashekar, Byrati Basavaraj and Muniratna.
Congress sources said Shivakumar tried to persuade Ramalinga Reddy and bring the situation under control but the talks failed.
Reacting to the development, JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda said, "The ball is in the court of the Speaker..I'm also ready to see along with you what will happen next..."
Yeddyurappa said his party had nothing to do with the resignations.
"We will see what will happen in the future..we will take appropriate decision at appropriate time. The prevailing confusing situation has hampered the development of the state.
Im keeping a watch.
Based on whatever will happen, what decision the Speaker will take, we will think about further action," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MLA Ramalinga Reddy, who submitted his resignation, has been sulking ever since the coalition government was formed as he felt he had been sidelined and not given a place in the cabinet.
He had previously handled the portfolios of Home and Transport.
Reddy had been airing his grievances and many senior Congress and JD(S) MLAs including R Roshan Baig and A H Vishwanath had supported him.
Speaking to reporters, Reddy said "I have already spoken several times about the reasons behind the resignation but I will not repeat them.
Shivakumar wanted me not to resign but I have already submitted my resignation."
When asked whether he would withdraw his resignation, Reddy said, "Will anyone take the resignation back after submitting it? I will not withdraw."
Reddy, however, insisted that he would remain in Congress and maintained that the resignation was only from the legislative assembly.
He clarified that his resignation had nothing to do with denial of ministerial berth.
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
