Set to join Cong, Ex-MLA Poornima Srinivas says BJP did not fulfil promises made to her community
Bengaluru: Former BJP MLA Poornima Srinivas, who is set to join the Congress, claimed on Wednesday that the J P Nadda-led party failed to fulfil the promises made to the Golla (cowherd) community to which she belongs, prompting her to opt for a 'change''.
She also claimed that the Congress has decided to give the MLC ticket to her husband D T Srinivas from Teachers' Constituency.
Denying that she was sidelined in the BJP, the former MLA said both B S Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai had when they were Chief Ministers paid attention to Holalakere assembly constituency, which she had represented from 2018 to 2023, by giving lots of grants.
"However, when it comes to my community, they (Yediyurappa and Bommai) did not live up to the promises they had made while in the government to fulfill many of the works of our community, be it our Math or hostels in Chitradurga, Holalakere, Hosadurga and Hiriyur", she said.
She added that in Tumakuru too, there are many unfinished buildings, which were meant for the Golla community. The request for grants went unheeded, Poornima alleged.
Poornima also has a grouse that she was not made a minister though there were strong indications for it till the last minute. The BJP also created confusion regarding the formation of a corporation of our community, she alleged.
Regarding the date of joining Congress, she said, "It is not final yet, but we are thinking of October 20."
"It is the decision of our community leaders and our well wishers who want me to continue in politics. They want me to go for a change because they believe that there is difficulty for the Other Backward Classes in the BJP. Hence, I took this decision, she said.
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Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping
New Delh (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news of India not being part of the group comes after the PM had enthusiastically posted on social media about a telephone call with his "once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC".
In a lengthy post on X, Ramesh said, "According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia."
"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group."
"This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC," the Congress leader asserted.
The new US-led strategic initiative, rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, has been launched to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.
According to the US State Department, the initiative called 'Pax Silica' aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
The initiative includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. With the exception of India, all other QUAD countries -- Japan, Australia and the US -- are part of the new initiative.
New Delhi will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19-20, focusing on the principles of 'People, Planet, and Progress'. The summit, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump on Thursday discussed ways to sustain momentum in the bilateral economic partnership in a phone conversation amid signs of the two sides inching closer to firming up a much-awaited trade deal.
The phone call between the two leaders came on a day Indian and American negotiators concluded two-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement that is expected to provide relief to India from the Trump administration's whopping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
In a social media post, Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging".
"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi had said without making any reference to trade ties.
