Karnataka CM holds meeting with Congress MLAs for third straight day
Bengaluru, Aug 9: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday held discussion with in-charge Ministers and legislators from various districts for the third consecutive day, and assured them of addressing their concerns and releasing funds for development works in the coming days.
He held a meeting with them regarding development of respective constituencies, grants, and preparation for Lok Sabha elections, according to official sources.
These meetings are significance amid reports of discontent brewing within the ruling party regarding development work in constituencies and the functioning of the government and its ministers.
Today's interaction with MLAs from eight districts -- Ramanagara, Mandya, Hassan, Kodagu, Davangere, Bengaluru Rural, Chamarajanagara and Chikkaballapura -- separately, was the third consecutive day of such meetings chaired by the Chief Minister.
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Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar was also present at the meetings.
On Monday, he had met MLAs from Tumakuru, Yadgir, Chitradurga, Bagalkot, Ballari and Dharwad districts. While on Tuesday he met legislators from Raichur, Vijayapura, Koppal, Belagavi, Haveri and Kalaburagi districts.
According to official and party sources, the MLAs discussed with Siddaramaiah regarding delay in completion of ongoing projects, allocation of funds to their constituencies, and about fulfillment of promises made to the people locally ahead of polls, other than five guarantee schemes.
The Chief Minister is said to have explained to MLAs about implementation of five 'guarantee schemes' (poll promises) and the financial implications it will have on taking up major developmental projects this year.
However, he has assured that works which need to be taken on priority, will be taken up, and maintained that release of funds for developmental works, will be done in a phased manner.
Siddaramaiah is also learnt to have asked MLAs to approach him if there are any issues and not to air grievances in public, and sought their cooperation.
The meeting gains significance amid brewing discontent within the ruling party, with as many as 30 legislators reportedly having written to Siddaramaiah and the party leadership recently, expressing concern over non-implementation of development works in their constituencies and functioning of certain ministers.
Several legislators are said to be miffed and have complained that they had not been able to get work done in their constituencies, and have not been granted transfers (of government servants) as requested. They are said to have expressed unhappiness in the letter regarding some ministers, alleging that they were not cooperating with them.
The Congress Legislature Party meeting held subsequently, last month, also witnessed scenes of discontent, with senior MLA B R Patil threatening to resign, citing "self-respect".
The behaviour and conduct of certain ministers has upset some legislators, Patil had said, as he warned that their fight would continue, if it is not corrected.
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US VP JD Vance says Lebanon not part of ceasefire, calls it ‘misunderstanding’
Budapest/Washington: US Vice President J D Vance has said that Lebanon was never included in the ceasefire understanding with Iran, describing the confusion as a “legitimate misunderstanding”.
Speaking to reporters before departing from Hungary, Vance said, “I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon and it just didn’t. We never made that promise.”
He stressed that the United States had not included Lebanon in the scope of the ceasefire at any stage.
His remarks come amid continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon, where more than 200 people were reported killed, even as ceasefire talks between Iran and the US move forward.
Vance said Israel had “offered … to check themselves a little bit in Lebanon because they want to make sure that our negotiation is successful”.
He warned that if Iran allows the situation in Lebanon to affect the negotiations, it could derail the talks.
“If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart in a conflict where they were getting hammered over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that’s ultimately their choice,” he said.
