Satish Jarkiholi has all qualities to be Chief Minister, says M.B. Patil
clarifies CM post not vacant
Bengaluru: Minister for Large and Medium Industries M.B. Patil has said that Satish Jarkiholi possesses all the qualities required to become Chief Minister of Karnataka but clarified that the Chief Minister’s post is not vacant at present.
Addressing reporters in Bengaluru on Thursday, Patil said he was unaware of the context behind Dr. Yathindra Siddaramaiah’s recent statement about Jarkiholi but stressed that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s leadership continues to be essential for the Congress.
“This may be the last election for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, but his leadership will continue to be needed in the future,” Patil said.
He added that the Congress cannot go into the next assembly election without Siddaramaiah leading the party. “Satish Jarkiholi is one of our senior leaders. In our party, decisions are not made by individuals like D.K. Shivakumar, M.B. Patil, or Satish Jarkiholi alone — the final decision rests with the party high command,” he stated.
Patil further said that no one can self-declare as Chief Minister. “Consensus among MLAs and the people’s confidence are essential. There are many capable and deserving leaders in Karnataka, but the high command will take the final call,” he noted.
When asked about a possible cabinet reshuffle, Patil said the decision too lies with the party leadership. “Our AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge is based in Sadashivanagar, so the high command’s presence is strong in Bengaluru. Allocation of portfolios is the Chief Minister’s prerogative — we can express our preferences, but we cannot demand specific ministries,” he added.
Earlier this week, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, son of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and a Member of the Legislative Council, sparked internal debate in the Congress after stating that his father was in the final phase of his political career and that Karnataka now needed a leader with a “progressive and ideological vision.”
Speaking at an event in Belagavi, Yathindra had said that Satish Jarkiholi embodied those qualities and was capable of leading the state with integrity and conviction, a remark widely seen as an indirect endorsement of Jarkiholi as a potential future Chief Minister.
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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.
