Mercedes-Benz CEO hails Bengaluru's talent; Shivakumar calls it 'proud recognition'
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday cited Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius' praise for Bengaluru's talent to underscore the city's growing stature as a global innovation hub.
Sharing an undated video clip of Källenius on 'X', Shivakumar, who also oversees Bengaluru development, said the German automobile executive's remarks reflected the city's exceptional talent and energy.
In the clip, Källenius says, "Every time I go to Bengaluru and come back from there, I am twice as energised... Wow, you meet someone who speaks fluent German, and when you ask, 'Where did you study German?', they say, 'I've never been to Germany.' That kind of intrinsic motivation—I want more of that... We will go to where that (talent) is."
Responding to the remarks, Shivakumar said, "Mercedes-Benz CEO Källenius' words about Bengaluru's exceptional talent reflect the city's growing stature as a global innovation hub. His appreciation that every visit here 'doubles his energy' is a proud recognition of our people's brilliance. Bengaluru's creativity, talent and spirit of innovation continue to inspire the world's best."
Highlighting 'namma ooru's unmatched spirit', the deputy chief minister added, "We will keep building on this strength to make Bengaluru shine even brighter on the global stage."
Namma Ooru's Unmatched Spirit!
— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) October 28, 2025
Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius’ words about Bengaluru’s exceptional talent reflects the city’s growing stature as a global innovation hub. His appreciation that every visit here “doubles his energy” is a proud recognition of our people’s… pic.twitter.com/ajFsaPzts1
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BJP to fight Assam polls on twin planks of development, secure state
Guwahati (PTI): In a bid to win the Assam Assembly elections for the third time in a row, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday advised the state BJP brass to fight on twin planks: development and a secure state.
Shah, who wound up a two-day visit to Assam, held a nearly two-hour-long meeting with senior leaders of the BJP state unit at the party headquarters here, with a focus on discussing strategy for the state elections, expected in March-April.
Briefing reporters after the closed-door meeting, BJP Assam president Dilip Saikia said, "Development and a secure Assam will be our twin electoral planks."
He also said that Shah, known for his expertise in electoral politics, has offered valuable suggestions, and based on it, an action plan to retain power in the state will be formulated soon.
“Discussions were held in detail on our organisational and political calendars. Shah ji offered some very valuable suggestions, and we will implement those at the earliest…We will share more details on the action plan soon,” Saikia said.
He further said that the Union minister exhorted the state party leadership to ensure that not only do they secure a ‘massive landslide victory’ but also bag more seats than in the previous election.
The BJP currently leads a coalition government in Assam with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People's Party Liberal (UPPL), while the Bodoland People's Front (BPF) has also extended support.
In the 126-member Assembly, the BJP now has 64 legislators, while its allies AGP, UPPL and BPF have nine, seven and three memnbers, respectively. In the opposition camp, the Congress’ strength is 26, while AIUDF has 15 members and CPI(M) one. There is an Independent legislator also, belonging to Raijor Dal.
Saikia said that the party will continue to contest the state polls in coalition with its NDA allies, which was also favoured by Shah.
Dismissing reports of chinks in the ruling coalition, the Lok Sabha MP said, “As far as the NDA is concerned, we are united in Assam. There could be discussions about some issues on individual party forums.”
The saffron party has maintained that its alliance with the regional parties will continue, and formalities like seat-sharing arrangements are being worked out.
Shah, who was on his second visit to the state within a month, attended two other events in Dibrugarh and Dheamji earlier in the day. He left for West Bengal after the meeting at the Guwahati state party headquarters.
