Karnataka Assembly witnesses banter over DK Shivakumar's CM ambitions
Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 12: The Karnataka Assembly on Thursday witnessed a light-hearted banter between Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Leader of Opposition R Ashoka, with the latter playfully questioning Shivakumar when he planned to "snatch power" and become the CM of the state.
The exchange was triggered by Shivakumar’s anecdote about securing a ministerial berth in the S M Krishna-led cabinet in 1999, shared while paying tribute to the late former Chief Minister.
The story piqued interest among the MLAs, with some linking it to his current Chief Ministerial aspirations.
Recalling how the Congress came to power in the state in 1999, Shivakumar said, “It was me who drew up the list of ministers and their portfolios, which was sent to the high command. However, when the final list reached Raj Bhavan, my name and T B Jayachandra’s name were missing. Only nine names made it to the list. Media reported that I would become the CM’s political secretary.”
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The Deputy CM said he had then consulted his astrologer, who advised him to "snatch power" if he wanted it. Following this, Shivakumar, along with Jayachandra, had approached Krishna with a demand to be included in the cabinet.
“I told him there wouldn’t be a government without me, and he couldn’t be sworn in without me,” Shivakumar said, recounting how the swearing-in ceremony was delayed to include him in the cabinet list.
At this juncture, Ashoka interjected, asking, “Will you snatch power now to become the CM? When will that happen?”
Amid laughter in the House, the LoP claimed, “I know your astrologer has said you must become CM before January-end or it will be difficult. Your stars are aligned only until then. Don’t delay, or someone like AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge might end up taking the post.”
Shivakumar, smiling, responded, “My astrologer predicted when I would become an MLA, a minister, and even when I wouldn’t get a ticket. If I reveal what he has told me now, 25-30 BJP MLAs and some JD(S) members might join Congress!”
The exchange, filled with humor, left the Assembly in splits.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was absent during this discussion.
Shivakumar has been vocal about his aspirations to become Chief Minister. Following the Congress victory in the May Assembly elections, there was intense competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the top post. Eventually, the party named Siddaramaiah as CM and Shivakumar as Deputy CM, reportedly under a "rotational chief minister" arrangement, though this has not been officially confirmed.
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Islamabad talks: JD Vance leads US delegation in historic face-to-face negotiations with Iran
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Islamabad (PTI): A US delegation led by Vice President JD Vance held historic face-to-face talks with top Iranian negotiators in Pakistan on Saturday to reach a peace agreement to end the war in West Asia that has paralysed global energy markets and disrupted trade.
The Pakistan-brokered talks -- the first direct, high-level engagement between the two sides since the 1979 Islamic Revolution-- are being watched globally amid increasing expectations of a breakthrough.
Ahead of the trilateral negotiations in Islamabad's Serena hotel, the Vance-led US team and the Iranian delegation headed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf held separate meetings with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
"After Pakistan PM Sharif held separate meetings with both the delegations, formal round of direct negotiations between Iran and the United States has officially begun," a senior Pakistani official told PTI.
Pakistan’s state-run PTV said Iranian and US officials sat across the table for "landmark peace negotiations." The format of the talks was not very clear.
As the negotiations continued, the Iranian government said on social media that "talks between Iran and the US in Islamabad entered the expert-level stage as economic, military, legal, and nuclear committees joined in".
Without elaborating, it added that certain"technical details” are being finalised.
Sources in the Pakistani establishment said that the overall atmosphere in talks was "encouraging".
There were reports that talks may continue on Sunday if no breakthrough was achieved tonight.
Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that the negotiations have moved beyond general issues and entered technical-level discussions on "certain topics".
While Vance is accompanied by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, the Ghalibaf-led Iranian delegation comprised Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Supreme National Defence Council Secretary Ali Akbar Ahmadian and Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati.
The two sides travelled to Islamabad on Saturday for the talks, four days after Iran and the US announced a two-week ceasefire. However, a massive wave of Israeli strikes on Lebanon, killing more than 300 people, has left the truce in tatters.
While Tehran claimed the assault violated the terms of the ceasefire understanding, the US and Israel said Lebanon was not part of the deal.
Earlier, both delegations were received at the Nur Khan airbase by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Minister for Interior, Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi.
In his meeting with the Iranian delegation, Prime Minister Sharif affirmed Pakistan's sincere resolve to continue playing its role as a mediator towards achieving meaningful results from the peace talks.
Sharif, during his meeting with the American delegation, expressed hope that the talks between the US and Iran would lead to durable peace in West Asia.
In a related development, Mohammad Reza Aref, Iran's first vice president, said the peace talks could produce a deal if the American side worked in the interest of the US in sync with President Donald Trump's America First approach.
"However, if we face representatives of 'Israel First', there will be no deal," he said on social media.
Aref cautioned that the world will face "greater costs" if there was no peace deal.
Tasnim news agency earlier reported that negotiations between Iran and the US will not begin until Tehran's "preconditions," including stopping Israeli hostilities against Lebanon and de-freezing of Iranian assets are met.
Quoting an "informed source", it later claimed that the American side has agreed to release Iran's frozen assets. However, there is no confirmation yet on the report.
The US delegation also comprised Andrew Baker, the Deputy National Security Advisor to the President and Michael Vance, Special Advisor to the Vice President for Asian Affairs.
A full suite of US experts on relevant subject areas are present in Islamabad, according to US officials.
Earlier, Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf shared a photo from inside the aeroplane while en route to Pakistan. In the photograph, he is seen standing in front of images of the Minab School students killed in strikes, which were placed on the aeroplane seats.
"My companions on this flight — Minab 168," Ghalibaf posted on social media with the photograph.
US President Donald Trump has already cautioned that the US will resume its military action against Iran if the talks do not produce a peace deal.
Before departing for Pakistan, Vance said he was looking forward to the negotiations and hoped they would be "positive".
"As the US president said, if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we’re certainly willing to extend an open hand. If they're going to try to play us, they're going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive," Vance said before boarding his plane for Islamabad.
After his arrival in Islamabad early Saturday, Ghalibaf told reporters about the issue of trust with the US, reminding them of Iran's past experience with that country.
"Twice within less than a year, in the middle of negotiations, and despite the Iranian side’s good faith, they attacked us," he said, adding: "We have goodwill, but we do not have trust (in Americans)."
He said if the American side is ready for a "genuine agreement," then it would see Tehran's readiness for it.
Iran has laid out a 10-point plan for the talks that included demands for the withdrawal of US forces from West Asia, the lifting of sanctions against Iran, and allowing it to control the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistan led the diplomatic push to bring the two sides to the table, which became possible after an appeal by Prime Minister Sharif earlier this week, leading to a pause in the fighting.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi, who held a telephone call with the country's ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad Reza Shibani, earlier asserted that the US must live up to its ceasefire commitments, which he said included ensuring the truce covers Lebanon.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that the Israeli attacks on Lebanon "blatantly violated" the initial ceasefire and would render negotiations meaningless.
A thick security blanket covered Islamabad, which was on ‘red alert’ ahead of the talks.
More than 10,000 police and security personnel have been deployed to ensure multi-layered security for the visiting delegates, officials said.
The Red Zone, housing key buildings, is protected by the army and the Rangers, and only authorised officials and residents are allowed to go through it.
The Iran-US negotiations are being closely watched globally, as their success or failure could have far-reaching implications for West Asia's security, global energy markets, and international diplomacy.
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