Yediyurappa can never retire; will fight 2023 polls under his guidance: CM Bommai
Yediyurappa signals end of his electoral politics, to vacate Shikaripura seat for son Vijayendra
New Delhi, Jul 22: Senior BJP leader B S Yediyurappa can never retire and the party will fight the 2023 assembly polls under his guidance, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Friday.
Bommai's remarks come hours after Yediyurappa announced that he is vacating his Shikaripura constituency and will not contest the next election.
Yediyurappa also said that his son and party's state vice-president B Y Vijayendra will contest the 2023 assembly polls from Shikaripura.
The former chief minister's announcement seems to indicate the end of his electoral politics.
"He never retires. Yediyurappa has never retired. In the next elections, his strength and guidance will be there," Bommai told reporters when asked under whose leadership the party will fight the next polls in the absence of Yediyurappa.
He also mentioned that Yediyurappa is a "fatherly figure" and the central leaders know about that.
The next assembly election in Karnataka is scheduled for May 2023.
Bommai is in the national capital to attend the farewell dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for outgoing president Ram Nath Kovind.
The Karnataka chief minister also called on President-elect Droupadi Murmu and congratulated her.
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Trump says EU has until July 4 to approve last year's trade deal or it will face higher tariffs
Washington (AP): President Donald Trump has said in a social media post that goods from the European Union would face higher tariff rates if the 27-member bloc fails to approve last year's trade framework by July 4.
The announcement on Thursday appeared to be a deadline extension after the president said last Friday that EU autos would face a higher 25 per cent tariff starting this week. Trump made the updated announcement after what he described as a "great call" with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Still, the US president was displeased that the European Parliament had yet to finalize the trade arrangement reached last year, which was further complicated in February by the US Supreme Court ruling that Trump lacked the legal authority to declare an economic emergency to impose the initial tariffs used to pressure the EU into talks.
"A promise was made that the EU would deliver their side of the Deal and, as per Agreement, cut their Tariffs to ZERO!" Trump posted. "I agreed to give her until our Country's 250th Birthday or, unfortunately, their Tariffs would immediately jump to much higher levels."
It was unclear from the post whether Trump was implying that the tariff rates would jump on all EU goods or the increase would only apply to autos.
His latest statement indicates he might be backing away from his earlier threat on EU autos by giving the European Parliament several more weeks to approve the agreement.
Under the original terms of the framework, the US would charge a 15 per cent tax on most goods imported from the EU.
But since the Supreme Court ruling, the administration has levied a 10 per cent tariff while investigating trade imbalances and national security issues, aiming to put in new tariffs to make up for lost revenues.
