D K Shivakumar rules out contesting in Channapatna bypoll
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday ruled out contesting in the Channapatna bypoll.
He even wondered aloud why there would be bye-elections in Kanakapura assembly segment from where he is an MLA.
Two days ago, Shivakumar said, “A significant change in my political career happened from Channapatna. I have come to Anjaneya temple in Kengal to start a new chapter in my political career."
This gave rise to speculations that he was willing to contest from Channapatna assembly segment, which fell vacant after MLA H D Kumaraswamy won the Mandya Lok Sabha election.
BJP MLA and former minister S Suresh Kumar called the purported ‘bypoll in Kanakapura’ a ‘Tughlaq like decision’ and wastage of public money.
“Why will there be any bye-election in Kanakapura? I am an MLA from Kanakapura and the state president of my party (Congress). There is a responsibility on me. This is my region and I am a leader there,” Shivakumar told reporters on Friday.
“Me and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will lead the elections (in Channapatna),” he added.
Explaining further, Shivakumar said he has only asked people there to support him. “I am from that district (Ramanagara). I have asked the voters there to give us strength.... They will favour us if they trust us,” the DCM said.
Commenting on those who criticised him, Shivakumar said, “Those who are writing obituary of my political career should know that there is a bigger power behind me, which is people’s power.”
Earlier, BJP state President B Y Vijayendra said it was left to the Congress to decide who should contest from Channapatna. He, however, pointed out that D K Suresh who lost from Bengaluru Rural constituency as Congress candidate had thought that he was invincible.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Kumaraswamy, whose resignation as MLA is necessitating the Channapatna bypolls, said Shivakumar was showing affection for Channapatna now but had not visited the place in the past one-and-a-half years.
It’s been more than a year since Shivakumar became the deputy chief minister; the person who had never been to Channapatna all these days is showing his affection for that constituency and he is talking about it, he said.
“Who had stopped him from developing Channapatna till now? What was his brother’s (D K Suresh) contribution to Channapatna?” he asked.
On June 19, Shivakumar paid obeisance to Lord Hanuman and blew the bugle of the election campaign in Channapatna.
His statement that a new chapter in my political career would start from Channapatna made people speculate that he would contest from Channapatna.
It was perceived in the political circles that after winning from Channapatna, Shivakumar will resign from Kanakapura constituency creating a vacancy for his brother Suresh to contest and win the polls.
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India proposes preferential trade agreement with Mexico to deal with high tariffs
New Delhi (PTI): India has proposed a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Mexico to help domestic exporters deal with the steep tariffs announced by the South American country, a top government official said on Monday.
Mexico has decided to impose steep import tariffs - ranging from about 5 per cent to as high as 50 per cent on a wide range of goods (about 1,463 tariff lines) from countries that do not have free trade agreements with Mexico, including India, China, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that India has engaged with the country on the issue.
"Technical level talks are on...The only fast way forward is to try to get a preferential trade agreement (PTA) because an FTA (free trade agreement) will take a lot of time. So we are trying to see what can be a good way forward," he told reporters here.
While in an FTA two trading partners either significantly reduce or eliminate import duties on maximum number of goods traded between them, in a PTA, duties are cut or removed on a limited number of products.
Trading partners of Mexico cannot file a compliant against the decision on imposing high tariffs as they are WTO (World Trade Organisation) compatible.
The duties are within their bound rates, he said, adding that their primary target was not India.
"We have proposed a PTA because its a WTO-compatible way forward... we can do a PTA and try to get concessions that are required for Indian supply chains and similarly offer them concessions where they have export interests in India," Agrawal said.
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Citing support for local production and correction of trade imbalances, Mexico has approved an increase in MFN (most favoured nation) import tariffs (5-50 per cent) with effect from January 1, 2026 on 1,455 tariff lines (or product categories) within the WTO framework, targeting non-FTA partners.
Preliminary estimates suggest that this affects India's around USD 2 billion exports to Mexico particularly -- automobile, two-wheelers, auto parts, textiles, iron and steel, plastics, leather and footwear.
The measure is also aimed at curbing Chinese imports.
India-Mexico merchandise trade totalled USD 8.74 billion in 2024, with exports USD 5.73 billion, imports USD 3.01 billion, and a trade surplus of USD 2.72 billion.
The government has been continuously and comprehensively assessing Mexico's tariff revisions since the issue emerged, engaging stakeholders, safeguarding the interests of Indian exporters, and pursuing constructive dialogue to ensure a stable trade environment benefiting businesses and consumers in both countries.
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Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Director General Ajay Sahai has said that Mexico's decision is a matter of concern, particularly for sectors like automobiles and auto components, machinery, electrical and electronics, organic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and plastics.
"Such steep duties will erode our competitiveness and risk, disrupting supply chains that have taken years to develop," Sahai said, adding that this development also underlines the little urgency for India and Mexico to fast-track a comprehensive trade agreement.
Domestic auto component manufacturers will face enhanced cost pressures with Mexico hiking duties on Indian imports, according to industry body ACMA.
