Deve Gowda has this to say regarding Sumalatha's election plans
Mangaluru: JDS National President and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Sunday held a press conference at the MLC office here during his visit to the city. He told reporters that the party has sought 12 out of 28 seats of the state from Congress but it is not the final demand and there can be room for relaxation.
“Leaders from both the parties will meet in Delhi and discuss the seat sharing. We have sought 12 seats but that doesn’t mean it is our final demand. There will be discussions and negotiations. There is no confusion in the coalition and seat sharing and we will not allow dissent as well” he said.
Speaking about Sumalatha Ambareesh contesting from Mandya, he added “Sumalatha demanding to contest from Mandya is natural. But JDS dominance has increased in Mandya and Hassan and I think Congress leaders understand this. From where I contest is not important I haven’t made a decision as yet”.
“Party workers and activists from Chikkaballapur are urging me to contest from their constituency, but not decision has been made yet. MP Veerappa Moily has indicated that they will give us 10 out of 28 seats, so we will see which seats they give us. Based on that decisions on candidates will be made” he added.
“People of Mandya and Hassan also want Nikhil and Prajwal to contest from their respective constituencies. We also need to understand the feelings of people while deciding the candidate” he further added.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for ‘Congress Mukt Bharat’ (Congress free India) is meaningless and has no vision. We don’t need to learn about patriotism from Narendra Modi. People now understand what Modi has done for the country in last five years” Deve Gowda added while taking a dig at Modi.
After the press conference Deve Gowda handed over the salary of MLC BM Farooq to the poor families and also felicitated the newly appointed Grand Mufti AP Ustad.
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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.
