DK Shivakumar says no talks on leadership change in K'taka, asks party leaders not to speak to media
Bengaluru, Jul 1 (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said there is no discussion on leadership change and stressed on strengthening the hands of CM Siddaramaiah and the party's government in the state.
Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress President, asked party leaders and legislators not to speak to the press on the leadership change issue.
He said a notice will be issued to Ramanagara MLA H A Iqbal Hussain, who has been making statements that Shivakumar should become the CM.
Speculation over leadership change has resurfaced with some party MLAs, including Hussain and H C Balakrishna (Magadi) making claims about Shivakumar becoming the CM later this year.
"Statements are being made. We want discipline in the party. Discipline is important. No issue of leadership change. There is no discussion or anything on this. No one is in a hurry, 2028 is important for us," Shivakumar told reporters here.
Responding to a question, he said, "I will issue a notice to Iqbal Hussain. I don't want anyone to say that I will become the CM. Today or tomorrow, I will issue a notice to him. I also don't want Balakrishna to speak in my favour..."
Hussain has claimed that Shivakumar may get an opportunity to become CM in two to three months.
Asserting that no leader or MLA from the party should speak to the media on such matters, Shivakumar said, "..no one should go before the press. I'm saying it, no press. I'm saying it, whether it is Iqbal Hussain or B R Patil or Balakrishna or anyone else, there is no need."
"Siddaramaiah is the chief minister, strengthening his hands and the hands of the government is the only thing," he added.
There have been speculations within political circles, especially within the ruling Congress, for some time now about the chief minister change later this year, citing power-sharing agreement involving Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. But such talks had taken a backseat for some time, after strong instructions from the party 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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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
