Trump wins New Hampshire GOP primary; strong showing by Indian American Nikki Haley
Washington (PTI): Former US President Donald Trump is projected to win the New Hampshire primary, despite a stronger than expected performance by Indian American Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor, thus making the former White House occupant all but certain of earning the party's nominee for the November presidential elections against the Democratic incumbent Joe Biden.
Major American media outlets called the Republican primary race in favour of Trump with one-fourth of the votes being counted. Trump was leading with 52.5 per cent of the votes counted and Haley 46.6 per cent. Haley, political pundits said performed much better than expected. She is the only Republican left in the race standing against the mighty Trump.
By winning the New Hampshire primary after the Iowa Caucus, Trump has made the strongest ever case to be the Republican party's nominee for the November presidential elections. Notably, Trump is the first non-incumbent Republican presidential candidate to win both the Iowa Caucus and the New Hampshire primary back-to-back.
Trump is the only Republican candidate to have won the New Hampshire primary thrice. "This is a decisive win for Donald Trump tonight," former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy told Fox News in an interview with 20 per cent of the votes being called. He said that Haley withdrawing from the race in favour of Trump would be the right thing for the former South Carolina Governor.
In a statement, the Trump campaign asked Haley to drop out of the race. Haley does not have a path to victory. Instead, if Haley stays in the race, she will play an active role in advancing the re-election of Harris-Biden, it said.
"Nikki Haley said she's running to stop the re-election of Harris-Biden. Yet, without a viable path to victory, every day she stays in this race is another day she delivers to the Harris-Biden campaign," said Taylor Budowich, CEO of Make America Great Again Inc. "It's time for unity, it's time to take the fight to the Democrats, and for Nikki Haley: it's time to drop out," Budowich said.
But Haley appeared to be determined to be in the race. "What a great night, God is so good," she told her supporters at Concord in New Hampshire. "I want to congratulate Donald Trump on his victory tonight. He earned it. And I want to acknowledge that. Now you've all heard the chatter among the political class they're falling all over themselves saying this race is over," she said.
"Well, I have news for New Hampshire is first in the nation. It is not the last. This race is far from over. There are dozens of states left," Haley said asserting that in New Hampshire she got almost half of the votes.
Haley said when she started, there were 14 of them in the race and she was polling at two per cent in the polls. "Well, I'm a fighter. And now we're the last one standing next to Donald Trump," Haley said. "A Trump nomination is a Biden win, and a Kamala Harris presidency," she said.
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Nothing wrong in MLAs aspiring for ministerial position: K'taka HM Parameshwara
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Bengaluru (PTI): Amid a group of ruling Congress MLAs camping in Delhi with a cabinet rejig demand for their inclusion, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Monday said there was nothing wrong in legislators aspiring for ministerial positions.
He asserted that experienced MLAs were capable of handling such responsibilities.
His remarks came a day after senior and first-time MLAs stepped up lobbying efforts in the national capital with the party high command, seeking a cabinet reshuffle and greater representation.
"There is nothing wrong in them asking for it (ministerial position)," Parameshwara, a senior Congress leader, said
He added that the MLAs, some of who have been elected thrice, are capable to take up the ministerial positions.
He maintained that the final call on any cabinet reshuffle rests with the party high command.
"Our Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah), the high command, and our party (state) president (DK Shivakumar) decide about reshuffle. These three sit together and take a decision," he said.
The minister also indicated that the established procedure for cabinet formation was likely being followed.
"Earlier too, when I was the (state Congress) president, during cabinet formation, the Pradesh Congress Committee president, the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader, and our in-charge general secretaries would take decisions that would then be presented before our AICC president, approval would be obtained, and then it would be announced," he said.
He added that even today the same procedure is followed.
Responding to questions on whether senior ministers would make way for newcomers, Parameshwara said they would abide by the party's decision.
"If the high command decides then we have to accept it. There is no question of not accepting it," he said.
Stressing on party discipline, he added, "Whether it is me, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, or Energy Minister K J George, we all are seniors. If they (high command) decide that we should be replaced and make changes, then there is no question of us opposing it."
Clarifying that discussions were limited to a possible cabinet reshuffle, he said decisions on leadership matters were entirely in the hands of the high command.
He said the discussions were limited only to the Cabinet rejig and not changing the party state president, a post being held by Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar for the past six years.
"Right now we are discussing cabinet reshuffle, not about the party president. All such matters are left to the high command," he said.
Recalling his own appointment as state Congress president in the past, Parameshwara said he had not lobbied for the post. "When I was made president, I did not lobby for it. Our leader Sonia Gandhi took the decision. It came as a surprise to me. I had not asked for it," he said.
On Sunday, several senior MLAs travelled to Delhi to press for a cabinet reshuffle, while first-time legislators renewed their demand for representation, seeking at least five berths in the Siddaramaiah-led ministry.
The push for a rejig comes amid internal rumblings within the ruling party and speculation over leadership issues, even as the high command is yet to take a final call.
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