'Have Trust In Your Country': Piyush Goyal Amid Uncertain India-US Trade Deal Timeline

Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal, a key figure in the ongoing India-US trade deal talks, on Sunday urged Indians to "have trust in your country" when asked about the progress of negotiations between the two nations.

In response to NDTV's Editor-In-Chief Rahul Kanwal's question on the status of India-US trade deal, the minister urged people of India to "have faith in the motherland', arguing that such talks only take place behind closed doors.

Goyal stated this at NDTV's 'Power Play' event ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. He predicted a landslide victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, claiming that the alliance will win over 200 of the 227 available seats.

"The people of Mumbai have a large heart, and nobody is an 'outsider' here," Goyal said, directly countering the "Marathi Manoos" narrative often employed by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray's MNS. "This city belongs to everyone who contributes to its progress."

Goyal’s comments come amid a heated campaign environment where the "Mahayuti" alliance — comprising the BJP, Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP — seeks to continue their dominance over the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Seva.

The BMC elections are seen as a litmus test for the Mahayuti government’s popularity in Maharashtra's capital.