Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai meets Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, BJP's Arun Singh
New Delhi: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai paid a courtesy visit to Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu here on Tuesday.
Bommai, who is in the national capital to discuss with the BJP leadership matters related to the expansion of his cabinet, also met BJP Karnataka unit in-charge Arun Singh.
The new Karnataka chief minister met Naidu at Parliament House. Naidu is also the Rajya Sabha chairperson. The Vice President Secretariat tweeted a picture of Bommai meeting Naidu.
According to the chief minister's office (CMO), Bommai had cordial discussions with Naidu and Singh separately.
The new CM reached the national capital on August 1.
On Monday night, Bommai had a detailed discussion with BJP president J P Nadda for close to an hour.
After the meeting, Bommai said he had submitted 2-3 draft lists and the party chief will discuss further and finalise new ministers on Tuesday evening.
He also said once the list of new ministers is finalised, the day of the oath-taking ceremony will be decided after discussion with Karnataka BJP chief Nalin Kumar Kateel.
The new cabinet will be selected balancing all factors, including regional and social representations. Those who migrated to the BJP from other parties need not worry, he added.
Bommai took oath as the chief minister on July 28 after the resignation of B S Yediyurappa on July 26.
He is currently the lone Cabinet member in the government.
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Rupee falls 20 paise to 95.43 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 20 paise to 95.43 against US dollar in early trade on Tuesday as market sentiments remained fragile after renewed military exchanges between US and Iranian forces in the Gulf region.
Forex traders said investor anxiety due to instability in the Gulf is causing massive capital flight into safe-haven assets, with the US dollar acting as the primary beneficiary.
Moreover, Brent oil prices is hovering near USD 113 per barrel, maintaining pressure on oil-importing economies like India.
At the interbank foreign exchange market the rupee opened at 95.30 then lost ground to touch 95.43 against the US dollar, in initial trade, registering a fall of 20 paise over its previous close.
Rupee fell 39 paise to close at an all-time low of 95.23 against the US dollar on Monday.
"With oil boiling rupee on Monday fell to a closing low of 95.0875 and this morning the opening was still lower as it becomes more and more vulnerable when dollar index rises due to safe-haven buying and oil prices rise due to the continuous fighting in the Gulf Region," Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director, Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP, said.
The higher oil prices will keep rupee sold off against the dollar as oil companies and FPIs intensify dollar buying, Bhansali added.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading at 98.51, up 0.15 per cent.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading lower by 1.07 per cent at USD 113.22 per barrel in futures trade.
"Market sentiments remained fragile after renewed military exchanges between US and Iranian forces when Iranian forces launched fresh attacks in the Gulf as both sides sought to assert control over the strategic waterway," Bhansali said.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex declined 361.62 points to 76,907.78 in early trade, while the Nifty dropped 134.90 points to 23,980.60.
Foreign Institutional Investors purchased equities worth Rs 2,835.62 crore on Monday, according to exchange data.
