Karnataka Home Minister Parameshwara rejects any power-sharing pact
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday rejected any power-sharing agreement involving Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar, before Congress formed a government and asked why others should be there, if there was such a pact.
He said ultimately the high command will take a decision and everyone will abide by it.
"We don't know about any agreement. I don't know. I asked two-three people about it, both in Delhi and here. No one was saying that there was an agreement. I don't know the context in which Shivakumar had spoken," Parameshwara said in response to a question.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had clarified that there was no such agreement.
"If there was such agreement, why should we all be there? Let them both (CM and DCM) do politics and do things. Shouldn't others be there? Such things are not possible. Ultimately, the high command will decide. We are not distant from the high command. We abide by the high command's decision. We don't know about any such agreements," he added.
Shivakumar had reportedly told a news channel recently that there was an agreement between them, before coming to power, to which Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said there was no such pact, and that he would abide by the high command's decision.
Reacting to Siddaramaiah's comments, Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress president, on Wednesday said whatever the chief minister says is final, there is no objection to it.
There was stiff competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the chief minister's post after the declaration of Assembly election results in May last year, and the Congress had managed to convince the latter and made him the deputy chief minister.
There were some reports at the time that a compromise had been reached based on a "rotational chief minister formula," according to which Shivakumar will become CM after two-and-half years, but they have not been officially confirmed by the party.
Shivakumar has made no secret of his ambition to become chief minister.
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Road crash in UP leaves 10 dead
Lakhimpur Kheri (UP) (PTI): Ten people were killed when a van collided head-on with a truck on the Sisaiya-Lakhimpur national highway on Monday, police said.
The van was going to Sisaiya from Lakhimpur when the accident took place between Unchgaon and Bharehta villages.
Circle Officer of Dhaurahra, Shamsher Bahadur Singh, said all nine passengers travelling in the van and the driver were killed.
District Magistrate of Lakhimpur Kheri Anjani Kumar Singh told reporters that the van collided with a truck coming from the opposite direction, leading to nine casualties on the spot, while one succumbed to injuries at the district hospital.
Circle Officer, Dhaurahra, Shamsher Bahadur Singh told PTI, "Efforts are on to establish the identity of other deceased persons."
The seven of the deceased have been identified as Jaideep Singh (25), Pawan (23), Sohan (21), Ram Goyal (42), Sahajram (35), Pappu (18), all residents of Bahraich district and Adnan Khan (15), a resident of Lakhimpur Kheri district, police said.
Condoling the loss of lives in the accident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a post on X, said, "The loss of life in the unfortunate road accident in Lakhimpur Kheri district is deeply distressing and heart-wrenching. My condolences are with the bereaved families."
"I have directed the local administration to provide prompt and adequate assistance to the injured and the victims. I pray to Lord Shri Ram to grant the departed souls a place at His divine feet and to bestow a speedy recovery upon the injured," Adityanath said on X.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak too condoled the loss of lives in the accident.
"The loss of lives resulting from the road accident in Lakhimpur Kheri district is deeply tragic and heart-wrenching. My deepest condolences go out to the bereaved families," Maurya said.
