CM Bommai to visit Delhi on Feb 7 ahead of state budget presentation
Bengaluru, Feb 6: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said he would be flying to Delhi on February 7 to meet Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Members of Parliament from Karnataka ahead of preparing the state budget.
Bommai's trip to the national capital has triggered speculations that cabinet expansion may be discussed with the BJP's central leadership.
"I am going to Delhi tomorrow to meet all the MPs against the backdrop of the union budget and the budget we are preparing. I have sought an appointment with the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman where I want to discuss budget, financial condition and GST," he told reporters here.
Seeking to downplay the visit, Bommai explained that there had been a convention of Chief Ministers holding discussions with "everyone" ahead of presentation of the budget and he is only following the same tradition.
He said that he has also sought appointment with party seniors and he would get a confirmation this evening or Monday morning. He however, acknowledged that they would be busy with the ongoing Parliamentary proceedings and the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections.
The CM made it clear that he has not sought any appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
To a query whether cabinet expansion would be discussed, Bommai said he cannot speculate how the situation will be when he gets an appointment with the seniors in the party.
Against the permitted strength of 34 ministers in the cabinet, the Bommai government has a team of 30 while four berths are vacant. Many ministerial aspirants have been lobbying for the positions.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
