Congress to fight 2023 K'taka polls under collective leadership, says ex-deputy CM G Parameshwara
Bengaluru, Jun 25: Senior Karnataka Congress leader G Parameshwara on Saturday said the party will face the state assembly polls scheduled for next year under a collective leadership.
Ruling out speculation that he was sulking over being sidelined in the party and planning to join the BJP, the former deputy chief minister in reply to a question on his chief ministerial aspirations, maintained that the party high command will decide in this regard, when Congress comes to power in the state.
"Our (state) president D K Shivakumar has said it will be collective leadership...we will go (for polls) under collective leadership," Parameshwara told reporters in response to a question whether Congress will face the 2023 assembly polls under Siddaramaiah (Congress Legislature Party leader) or Shivakumar's leadership.
To a question whether he was upset over not being given an appropriate position in the party, Parameshwara said, "No, I'm not upset. I have worked as the party president successively for eight years and also as Deputy Chief Minister in the (coalition) government, I'm not unhappy or upset."
Asked about talks in the political circles that he may join the BJP, the former KPCC chief merely said, "I don't know about it."
The message of collective leadership from a senior party leader comes amidst ongoing political one-upmanship between Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah, both nursing Chief Ministerial ambitions on Congress coming to power.
Asked about him raising in the past the issue of Karnataka not having a Dalit CM, Parameshwara, who hails from the community, said, according to the situation several people express their opinion, and as of now the only intention is to bring the party to power.
"The party has to come to power first, right? We are making efforts for it," he added.
Stating that there is nothing to be surprised about several leaders in the Congress being in the race for the Chief Minister's post, Parameshwara said there are several senior leaders who have served the party for decades and it is natural for them to have a desire.
When questioned whether he too has such a desire, the Congress leader said the party high command will ultimately decide on it (CM) and added "let's bring the party to power first."
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Pak's ISI chief Muhammad Asim Malik appointed as National Security Adviser
Islamabad (PTI): Pakistan has appointed spy chief Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik as the new National Security Adviser (NSA) amidst raging tension with India.
Malik was appointed as the director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in October 2024.
According to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division on Tuesday, General Malik was formally given the task of the NSA.
“Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik HI (M), DG (I), shall hold the additional charge of the National Security Adviser, with immediate effect,” the notification stated.
He is the country’s tenth NSA, but it is for the first time that a serving ISI chief was given the task to serve concurrently in the two key positions.
The posting comes amid heightened tensions with India following the recent Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, in which 26 people were killed.
The NSA position had remained vacant since April 2022, when the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government was ousted.
Dr Moeed Yusuf was serving as the NSA at that time.
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