Congress will win at least 20 LS seats in Karnataka, says CM Siddaramaiah
Mysuru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, addressing reporters at Mandakalli Airport in the city on Sunday, expressed optimism about the Congress party's prospects in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka, foreseeing a victory in at least 20 seats.
While refraining from echoing the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) claim of a clean sweep across all 28 seats, Siddaramaiah asserted the Congress's confidence in securing a minimum of 20 seats. He underscored the party's strategic approach amidst the BJP-JD(S) alliance dynamics in the state.
Commenting on the alliance, Siddaramaiah suggested that it had inadvertently favored the Congress, though he declined to elaborate further, citing the need for discretion on certain matters.
Criticizing the BJP's performance, Siddaramaiah questioned the fulfillment of the party's electoral promises, highlighting unmet pledges such as the distribution of Rs 15 lakh to each family and the creation of two crore jobs. He accused the BJP of propagating hollow assurances and misleading the public.
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Responding to queries about ticket allocations to ministers' children, Siddaramaiah clarified that such decisions were made considering public sentiment and trust in the candidates. He emphasized that the Congress remained committed to meritocracy and denied engaging in dynastic politics.
Addressing remarks by MLA and former Congress minister SR Srinivas regarding his potential resignation, Siddaramaiah dismissed any suggestion of stepping down in case of an electoral setback. He clarified that Srinivas had expressed support for Siddaramaiah's leadership, citing his contributions to guarantee schemes and welfare initiatives for the underprivileged.
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New application filed in SC against Adani group over US indictment
New Delhi: A fresh application has been submitted to the Supreme Court of India, seeking the inclusion of key documents related to the recent US indictment of the Adani Group. Filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari, the petition aims to introduce two critical pieces of evidence into an ongoing case related to the Adani Group's financial practices.
The first document is a formal US court indictment accusing Gautam Adani, his relative Sagar Adani, and other company executives of orchestrating a massive bribery scheme to secure solar energy contracts worth billions of dollars in India. The indictment alleges that over $250 million in bribes were paid to Indian government officials to obtain these lucrative contracts.
The second document is a complaint from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which accuses the Adani Group of securities fraud. The SEC alleges that Adani executives misled investors to raise funds for these solar projects, despite knowing that part of the capital was linked to corrupt activities.
This development follows the US Attorney's Office's recent charges against the Adani executives, who are accused of masterminding a bribery scheme to secure power supply contracts with state-run utilities in India. The contracts were expected to yield up to $2 billion in profits over two decades.
These charges come amid an ongoing investigation by India's Securities and Exchange Board (SEBI) into the Adani Group, after allegations of stock manipulation and market irregularities surfaced, particularly following the release of the Hindenburg Report in early 2023. The new US legal documents could play a crucial role in strengthening the investigation into the Adani Group's business operations.
