DK Shivakumar neither in hurry nor under pressure for CM post, says his brother DK Suresh
Bengaluru, Jul 12 (PTI): Former Lok Sabha member D K Suresh on Saturday clarified that his brother and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar is neither in a hurry nor under pressure regarding the CM post.
He made the remarks against the backdrop of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's recent assertion that he would complete his full five-year tenure.
"D K Shivakumar is neither in a hurry (to become CM) nor under any pressure," Suresh told reporters here.
Earlier, it had been speculated that Shivakumar, who is also the Congress state president and considered a key contender for the top post in the state, would take over the chief minister's role midway in the present regime.
Responding to queries, Suresh said, "There is no conflict in the Congress party. The high command, the chief minister and Shivakumar have already clarified the matter. Siddaramaiah has said he will continue in leadership. Yet we don't know why there is confusion in the media."
He added that Shivakumar is sincerely carrying out the responsibilities given to him and working in accordance with the party's direction.
"At present, the chief minister's post is not vacant. We don't know why this issue is being discussed repeatedly," Suresh said.
He added that Shivakumar is a loyal party worker who respects the Congress high command.
There was stiff competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the chief minister’s post after the declaration of Assembly election results in May 2023, and the Congress had managed to convince the latter and made him the Deputy CM.
There were some reports at the time that a compromise had been reached based on a "rotational chief minister formula" according to which Shivakumar will become CM after two-and-half years, but they have not been officially confirmed by the party.
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Compromised PM didn't sign trade deal with US, but a bargain for Adani's release: Rahul
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of signing a trade deal with the US only to secure the "release" of billionaire businessman Gautam Adani.
"Compromised PM did not strike a trade deal, but a bargain for Adani's release," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X, after reports that the US has agreed to settle the lawsuit that accused Adani of hiding alleged bribery.
The US government has agreed to settle the lawsuit filed against Adani, who is accused of duping investors by concealing that his company's huge solar energy project in India was being facilitated by an alleged bribery scheme, according to court filings published Thursday.
Reacting to the reports, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said it was now clear why the PM agreed to the "hopelessly one-sided Indo-US trade deal that was really a steal by the US".
"And it is also clear why he abruptly halted Operation Sindoor on May 10, 2025, acting on President Trump's threats rather than on our national interest. Reportedly, the Trump Administration is about to drop all charges of corruption against Modani," he said on X.
"How much more compromised can the PM get?" Ramesh asked.
In the lawsuit filed in late 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission accused Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani, who is a director at the group's renewable energy unit Adani Green Energy Ltd, of agreeing to pay about USD 265 million in bribes to Indian government officials between approximately 2020 and 2024 to obtain lucrative solar energy supply contracts on terms that expected to yield USD 2 billion of profit over 20 years.
It was alleged in the lawsuit that Adani Group raised USD 2 billion in loans and bonds, including from US firms, on the backs of false and misleading statements related to the firm's anti-bribery practices and policies.
The ports-to-energy conglomerate had denied the allegations.
