Kharge urges Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar to unite for Karnataka's development amid power struggle
Kalaburagi (Karnataka), Mar 8 (PTI): Amid the ongoing power tussle within the ruling Congress in Karnataka, party president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar to work together and prioritise the state's development.
He also said if they remain apart and move in different directions it will be "difficult."
The leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha was speaking at an event to flag off Kalyana Patha project at Jewargi here. The project will be undertaken at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore.
Lauding Siddaramaiah for presenting a record 16th budget on Friday, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge described it as a "good budget" and emphasised that the party consistently supports and encourages individuals doing good work.
He highlighted that the people of the state are now benefiting from it.
Kharge also praised Shivakumar for his past work as Minister for Energy, Irrigation Minister, and as the state Congress president. He acknowledged Shivakumar’s dedication to serving the party, government, and the people.
"I complement Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. Together you (both) should go ahead and focus more on the development of the state. If we overlook development, definitely people won't like us."
Observing that the work will be successful if both Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah work together, AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge making hand gestures, said, "If they are apart, it will be difficult. We want them to move forward in the same direction together."
"... if they go together in the same direction, it will be correct. If they go in different directions, it will be difficult," he reiterated, looking at Shivakumar, who was seated on the dias.
Speculation has been rife in the state's political circles, particularly within the ruling Congress, about a potential change in Chief Minister later this year under a "rotational chief minister" or "power-sharing" arrangement.
Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress chief, is a strong Chief Ministerial aspirant and has made no secret of his ambition to become the CM.
While some Congress leaders have voiced support for Shivakumar to become CM soon, several Ministers and leaders considered close to Siddaramaiah have consistently dismissed any leadership change, asserting that the current CM will continue and complete his full five-year term.
Noting that he is currently the AICC president due to the support of the people of Kalaburagi, Kharge mentioned that sometimes they may have lost their way, hinting at his loss in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The veteran leader suggested that some individuals like Shivakumar and former PM Deve Gowda, try to get things done "through god," while he, on the other hand, strives to achieve progress through the people and for the people. "Whatever it is, good should happen and good should be done," he added.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
