Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar remained in Delhi on Monday, extending his stay in the national capital by a day after traveling there on Sunday for a special engagement.
Shivakumar, who will complete six years as Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president on Tuesday, was initially scheduled to return to Bengaluru at 10 am on Monday. However, he decided to stay in Delhi for another day. He is likely to leave for Bengaluru on Tuesday.
When asked about meeting the party high command during the stay, DK Shivakumar did not offer any comments.
However, Shivakumar said several party-related events have been planned to mark the end of his six-year tenure as KPCC president, including a dinner with a group of MLAs and MLCs in Karnataka. “Tomorrow (Tuesday), I will complete six years as Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president. In this backdrop, I am hosting a dinner for MLAs and MLLCs. The next day, there is another program for defeated candidates, as well as district and block presidents of the party,” he said.
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He added that the lawmakers were invited first because the council session was ongoing. “Tomorrow there is dinner, and that’s it. The next day, there is a meeting of the Legislative Congress Party,” he said.
Shivakumar said he traveled to Delhi to attend the wedding of the family of a friend who was close to former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.
“Today there was a meeting regarding the Assam elections, and now I will go to the Congress office,” he said. “A list of 43 candidates has been announced for the Assam elections, and today there is another screening committee meeting. I am not part of the screening committee. My responsibility is different.”
As Congress observer for the Assam Assembly elections, Shivakumar met Assam Pradesh Congress Committee chief Gaurav Gogoi in Delhi on Monday.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recently said that if the people support him and the party high command agrees to it, he would be willing to present two more budgets during the government’s tenure.
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When asked about Shivakumar’s extended stay in Delhi, Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi said the state leadership would continue to manage affairs in his absence.
“Let him stay in Delhi. We are here to take care of matters,” Jarkiholi said while speaking to reporters at Vidhana Soudha.
Asked about Siddaramaiah’s statement about presenting two more budgets in the context of Shivakumar’s visit, Jarkiholi said the matter should be addressed by those concerned. He also reiterated his support for the Deputy Prime Minister. “We all stand with DK Shivakumar. If he returns tomorrow (Tuesday), there is no problem. We will handle things here,” he said.
