Basavaraj Horatti resigns as Chairman of Karnataka Legislative Council and MLC, to join BJP
Bengaluru, May 16: As he is all set to join the ruling BJP, senior politician Basavaraj Horatti on Monday resigned as the Chairman of Karnataka Legislative Council, and also as an MLC.
Thanking the leadership of his former party JD(S) -- H D Deve Gowda and H D Kumaraswamy -- for the opportunity, Horatti said they still consider him as their family member.
"I have resigned today as the Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council along with that also as MLC...I will be joining the BJP tomorrow, most probably at the party office in Bengaluru," Horatti told reporters here.
"Sometimes sudden changes happen. As some in my constituency and well-wishers were putting pressure on me insisting that I change, I had to accept it... I first got elected as an independent and thereafter got associated with the then Janata Dal and its breakaway JD(S). In 42 years of my political life, this is my first change," he added.
Horatti had earlier this month met Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the latter's visit to Bengaluru. He is likely to be fielded as the party's candidate for the upcoming MLC polls from West Teachers' constituency.
With this, Horatti, who has been elected as MLC seven successive times from 1980, has ended his long association with the JD(S).
Stating that he has not changed the party for the sake of power, in response to a question, the veteran politician said he never aspired for power and has effectively worked as minister and council chairman in the past.
Horatti said he has no misunderstanding with Deve Gowda or Kumaraswamy and has affection towards them. "I in fact spoke to Kumaraswamy, before making this decision..."
The senior politician also maintained that he is joining the BJP without any preconditions and none of his family members are interested in joining politics as of today.
Considered to be among the senior-most MLCs, the 76-year-old was seen as a prominent Lingayat face of the JD(S) from north Karnataka.
He had been education minister in the state, and was elected as the Chairman of the Legislative Council in February 2021.
Horatti has addressed his resignation letter to the Deputy Chairman, the position which is lying vacant for some time now.
"I have resigned, the cabinet will decide on the appointment of a pro-term Chairman (as Chairman and Deputy Chairman posts are vacant), and send it to the Governor for approval....the post will not be kept vacant, they will do it immediately," he said.
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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.
