As Karnataka BJP chief takes charge, BSY says winning 150-plus seats is next target
Bengaluru, Aug 27: As three-time Lok Sabha member Nalin Kumar Kateel took charge as the new Karnataka BJP president, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday asked party workers to strengthen the outfit, even as he set the target of over 150 seats in the next assembly polls.
Kateel vowed to strengthen the organisation under the guidance of the other leaders and said, he was accepting the responsibility on behalf of 'karyakartas'.
Addressing party workers, Yediyurappa said for the first time BJP was in power both at the Centre and the State and there were 25 party MPs representing Karnataka inLok Sabha.
The workers should further strengthen the party under Kateel's leadership and bring it back to power with huge majority next time, he said.
"It has been one month as chief minister for me, without taking rest even for a single day I have travelled across the state and have focused on issues concerning the people. I have got a good cabinet (and) with their cooperation we will work efficiently," Yediyurappa said.
"For remaining three years and ten months, without taking rest we will have to strengthen the party in every assembly constituency, in the next assembly election we will have to win more than 150 seats," he said.
BJP under Yediyurappa had won 104 of total 224 seats during the 2018 assembly polls, and the party subsequently won Chincholi seat during the by-polls taking the tally to 105.
Kateel (53), who is serving his third consecutive term in the Lok Sabha, represents Dakshina Kannada and is known for his hardline Hindutva views.
With Yediyurappa becoming the chief minister last month, the Amit Shah-led party has brought in his replacement in line with its "one person one post" norm.
Addressing party workers after assuming charge, Kateel said, "I have been given a very huge responsibility today; a normal karyakarta who used to seek votes going in front of houses in villages can become the state president of the party, it is possible only in Bharatiya Janata Party.
I'm Proof for that."
Stating that BJP was currently in its "golden age" because of the hard work of several leaders and karyakartas, he said, "at this juncture with utmost caution I'm taking this responsibility. I also have a fear, but amid that fear I also have a confidence that I have leaders like Yediyurappa and others to guide me to take BJP to everyone."
Kateel has an RSS background and the BJP decision to appoint him as its Karnataka unit chief is in line with its appointments of leaders with strong ideological moorings as heads of its different state units.
Crediting RSS's 'Shakas' for his growth as the leader, Kateel said,"I'm a Swayamsevak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, I'm not a scholar or achiever, but I grew up in Shakas of Sangh and Karyakartas of Sangh nurtured me."
Both Yediyurappa and Kateel asked party workers and leaders to address the needs of people in flood-hit regions.
Highlighting the miseries of people in flood affected areas and efforts made by the government in providing relief to them, the Chief Minister expressed hope about receiving adequate assistance from the centre.
He also asked party MLAs, MPs and workers to work towards ensuring that those affected get the relief.
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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.
