BJP party MLAs, Ministers in touch with Congress leaders, claims Basanagouda Patil Yatnal
Bengaluru, Jan 24: Pushing for a cabinet rejig soon, senior Karnataka BJP legislator Basanagouda Patil Yatnal on Monday claimed that some MLAs and Ministers, especially those who joined the saffron party from other parties, are in touch with the Congress leadership, and will jump ship, once the 2023 assembly poll schedule is announced.
Meanwhile, giving credence to these claims, Congress leaders D K Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah said, several leaders from the BJP and JD(S) were in touch with them and that they would not divulge details.
"....several people have booked tickets to go to D K Shivakumar's house, Siddaramaiah's house, if you continue with them (as Ministers), where will the BJP survive? For BJP to survive, cabinet reshuffle has to take place at the earliest, good and effective people should be inducted," Yatnal said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said the government has to function effectively to give a befitting reply to the Congress in the days to come.
"(BJP) Central leadership is aware as to which MLA will quit and who will remain, Prime Minister is also aware and they will take a suitable decision....I'm not saying all those who have joined BJP from other parties are not loyal, but few are there, once the election commission announces dates for polls, by the same afternoon they will resign from BJP and as Ministers and walk out," he added.
Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah and state Congress President D K Shivakumar, not willing to divulge details, too claimed that several leaders from BJP and JD(S) were in touch with them.
"It is true that they are in contact with us, but I won't reveal names....it is true that people from both BJP and JD(S) are in touch....how many, who all, won't reveal," Siddaramaiah said in response to a question.
Stating that in politics such things cannot be discussed openly, Shivakumar reacting to Yatnal's claims said "they (BJP) leaders know what is happening within their party. Neither me, nor Siddaramaiah will be able to disclose the names of those who are talking to us.....ask Ministers who are talking to us, instead of me, why should we disclose. This is politics, it is our duty to maintain secrecy."
Of late several BJP legislators have even been advocating Gujarat-like overhaul of the Karnataka Cabinet soon, to make way for new faces, and have noted that if it is done in March, it will be too late for ministers to make any mark, even in their own constituencies. These developments have come amid talks in party circles that the expansion or reshuffle of the cabinet is likely, only after the Assembly elections in five states.
With pressure mounting on him to expand or rejig his cabinet, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai today indicated that he is waiting for the BJP leadership's consent on going ahead with the exercise, and was also trying to bring it to their notice.
Yatnal, who on Thursday had held a closed-door discussion with another senior legislator M P Renukacharya, today held a similar meeting with party MLAs Ramesh Jarkiholi and Mahesh Kumathalli.
He however called it a casual meeting for lunch at Jarkiholi's place and not intended at putting any pressure on the party to be inducted into the Ministry.
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PM Modi holds talks with Dutch counterpart Jetten; discusses trade, investment
The Hague (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held wide-ranging talks with his Dutch counterpart Rob Jetten, focusing on trade, investment, and critical technologies.
Modi arrived in the Netherlands on Friday on the second leg of his five-nation tour. This is his second trip to the Netherlands, following his visit in 2017.
Ahead of the bilateral talks, Modi, along with Jetten, held discussions with prominent CEOs of leading Dutch companies across various sectors such as energy, ports, health, agriculture trade, and technology, among others.
Modi invited Dutch companies to explore opportunities in India, particularly in maritime, renewable energy, digital technologies, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and healthcare sectors.
"We are continuously reducing compliance and increasing the ease of doing business. We have recently carried out next-generation reforms in taxation, labour code, and governance," he told the business leaders.
The prime minister added that manufacturing in India is becoming very cost-effective, and in the services sector, it has become the engine of efficiency and innovation.
"We invite all of you to design and innovate in India. There can be no better time for this than today," he said.
"Today's India is a symbol of scale and stability. In terms of scale, we are also the fastest-growing major economy in the world and the world's largest talent pool. Infrastructure, clean energy or connectivity – no one in the world can match India's speed," Modi said.
"And on the subject of stability, I have completed 12 years of serving as the Prime Minister of the world's largest democracy. In these 12 years, with continuous reforms, we have transformed our economic DNA. Our direction has been clear – to give policy predictability to the private sector and increase opportunities for them," he added.
Modi said his government has opened up every sector for the private sector, be it space, mining or nuclear energy.
Ahead of the meeting, an agreement between ASML and Tata Electronics was signed in the presence of the two leaders.
The two prime ministers also called for early implementation of the India-EU-FTA.
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi met King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima at the Royal Palace and discussed close cooperation in digital technology, innovation, fintech and blue economy.
PM Modi's visit will build on the momentum of high-level engagements and close cooperation spanning diverse sectors, including defence, security, innovation, green hydrogen, semiconductors and a strategic partnership on water, the MEA said ahead of his visit.
The Netherlands is one of India's largest trade destinations in Europe, with bilateral trade worth USD 27.8 billion in 2024-25. The European nation is India's fourth-largest investor with cumulative foreign direct investment of USD 55.6 billion.
From the Netherlands, the prime minister will travel to Sweden for a two-day trip from May 17 to 18.
