MLC Vishwanath presses Siddaramaiah to honour power-sharing pact, hand over CM post to DKShi
Bengaluru: Senior Congress leader and MLC H. Vishwanath has urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to honour what he called the “widely known” power-sharing pact within the ruling party and hand over the Chief Minister’s post to Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.
Addressing reporters at the Press Club on Wednesday, Vishwanath said it is an “open secret” that Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar had agreed to share the Chief Ministership for 30 months each while resolving leadership differences during the formation of the Congress government in Karnataka.
He reminded the CM that the party’s strong mandate of 136 seats in the assembly polls was achieved through the combined effort of people across castes, communities and regions and through the leadership of both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. “This victory did not belong to one caste or one religion. Everyone contributed,” he said.
Vishwanath questioned why some ministers have recently been saying Siddaramaiah will continue for the full five-year term, despite the alleged understanding reached between the two leaders. He directly asked the Chief Minister if he had not “placed his right hand on D.K. Shivakumar’s head” and promised to hand over the post after 30 months.
“If that agreement is true, why are you now making your colleagues speak about completing five years?” he asked.
Recalling the broken pact between B.S. Yediyurappa and H.D. Kumaraswamy in 2007 which led to political instability and ultimately helped the BJP rise to power Vishwanath warned Siddaramaiah that reneging on commitments could have similar consequences. “Do not think the administration cannot shift back to the BJP,” he cautioned.
Appealing to Siddaramaiah’s identity as a Kuruba leader, Vishwanath said the community is known for keeping its word. “Society believes Kurubas do not break promises. Do not let your actions shake that trust,” he said. He urged the CM not to bring disrepute to the Kaginele Kanaka Guru Peetha or the expectations of the younger generation.
“You have often said that power is not permanent. Then do not break trust now,” he added.
Office-bearers of the Karnataka Pradesh Kuruba Sangha, Rajeshwari and Jailingegowda, were present at the press conference.
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Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov meets PM Modi; exchanges views on Ukraine, West Asia
New Delhi (PTI): Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and they exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest, including the situation in Ukraine and West Asia.
During the meeting, the prime minister reiterated India's consistent stand in favour of dialogue and diplomacy as the best way forward.
In a statement, the Prime Minister's Office said Lavrov briefed Modi on the progress achieved in bilateral cooperation since his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in December 2025 at the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit.
"Foreign Minister Lavrov and the Prime Minister exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest, including the situation in Ukraine and West Asia," the statement said.
Modi requested Lavrov to convey his warm greetings to Putin, it said.
Lavrov is here to attend the BRICS Foreign Ministers' meeting.
