BJP central leadership to clear list of 13-14 probables as ministers in first phase in Karnataka
Bengaluru, Aug 18: With the much awaited expansion of Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's cabinet in Karnataka to take place on August 20, the wait is now on for the BJP's central leadership to clear the list of 13-14 probables as Ministers in the first phase, top party leaders said here on Sunday.
Yediyurappa and the state leadership are expected to get clear instructions from the high command about those to be inducted into the Ministry on Monday.
Having run the government with a one-man cabinet for 22 days, Yediyurappa on Saturday finally managed to get the nod from BJP national president Amit Shah to undertake the exercise on August 20.
Yediyurappa, who took oath as Chief Minister on July 26 and proved his government's majority on the floor of the assembly on July 29, is yet to induct any minister into his cabinet.
Meanwhile, the BJP legislature party meeting scheduled for Tuesday morning ahead of the cabinet expansion has been postponed.
"On Tuesday, looking at a good time, cabinet expansion will be done by the afternoon. There will be no legislature party meeting that day. We will do it after four days.
All our MLAs, MLCs, MPs, all our leaders and central Ministers have been requested to attend the swearing-in ceremony," Yediyurappa told reporters on Sunday.
Senior party functionaries said though many names were doing the rounds in the media, a clear picture would emerge once the list submitted by the state leadership to the high command is cleared by Amit Shah, expected on Monday afternoon.
Yediyurappa too had said after his return here from Delhi late on Saturday that he was expecting clear instructions on Monday from the central leadership on those who are to be inducted into the Ministry.
"By Monday afternoon we will get a clear instruction on who all to be inducted. I have held discussions with Amit Shah and other leaders," he had said.
Asked about the number of Ministers likely to be inducted on Tuesday, he said "13 to 14 people are likely to be inducted into the cabinet in the first phase. There may be plus or minus one or two...we have now recommended 13 to 14 of them."
Yediyurappa has had a tightrope to walk during the cabinet expansion as he has to craft a fine caste and regional balance in view of the large number of aspirants, sources said.
However, with no decision yet by the Supreme Court on the disqualified Congress-JD(S) MLAs, whose resignations from the Assembly paved the way for the BJP to gain power, the Chief Minister has no immediate compulsion to accommodate them.
The then speaker Ramesh Kumar had disqualified 17 Congress-JD(S) rebels under the anti-defection law till the end of the assembly term, which they have challenged in the Supreme Court.
Only if they get any relief from the Apex Court can these disqualified MLA contest the bypolls.
Sources said that if they get re-elected, BJP planned to make them Ministers as promised and hence Yediyurappa would not be filling all 34 ministerial positions in one go.
They also said that one interesting aspect was that BJP MLAs have not openly expressed their ministerial aspirations or indulged in intense lobbying like in the past, as they fear it may go against them.
However, expressing confidence that he would be made a Minister, considering his seniority, eight-time MLA Umesh Katti Sunday said even if it did not materialise, he would "happily" work as a legislator for the people of his constituency that was affected by floods, while hoping for a larger representation for Belagavi district in the cabinet.
Meanwhile, several senior BJP legislators like V Somanna, Ashwathnarayan and C C Patil, among others, visited Yediyurappa's residence on Sunday, ahead of the cabinet exercise.
Amid pressure from within, the opposition Congress and JD(S) too had hit out at the BJP over the delay in cabinet expansion and had even raised questions about the government's "existence".
The Congress had even said Yediyurappa's one man cabinet administration "resembled President's rule."
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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.
