Karnataka CM race gets another twist as DK Shivakumar cancels Delhi visit, cites stomach infection
Shivakumar was expected to join Siddaramaiah in Delhi where the duo was likely to meet the top party leaders ahead of decision on next Karnataka chief minister.
Hours after making a strong pitch for the chief ministerial post in Karnataka, Congress's state unit chief DK Shivakumar on Monday said he has cancelled his planned Delhi visit due to a stomach infection. He along with former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah was called to Delhi by party high command amid the duo's tussle for the top post in the southern state. (Also Read | DK Shivakumar says ‘I am single-man majority’ ahead of Karnataka CM decision)
Siddaramaiah arrived in the national capital in the afternoon and Shivakumar was expected to join him later in the evening to meet top party leaders ahead of the decision on the next Karnataka chief minister. Shivakumar had said he will be going late due to personal commitments. But later in the evening, the 62-year-old Congress leader said he had to cancel the visit because of a stomach infection.
“I have a stomach infection and will not be travelling to Delhi today,” he said.
The Congress central leadership will be deciding on the new chief minister after its observers submitted a report on the opinion of the newly-elected MLAs which they collected in the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting in Bengaluru on Sunday. In the CLP meeting, Siddaramaiah moved a one-line resolution authorising party chief Mallikarjun Kharge to pick the next chief minister, which was unanimously passed by the MLAs.
"We had made a one-line resolution, stating we will leave the matter to party high command, after that some might have shared their personal opinion. I don't have the strength to speak about other's numbers, my strength is 135, I am the party president and under my presidency, the party has won 135 seats in Karnataka, against the double engine (BJP) government, the corrupt administration and suffering of the people. People have supported us and made us win 135 seats," Shivakumar said at a press conference earlier today.
When asked if he will become the next Karnataka CM, Shivakumar said he will leave the matter to Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
"I'm a single man. Gandhi ji said one thing: Be bold hearted when you are defeated and be large-hearted when you are victorious. When all our MLAs 15-16 of them left the party (in 2019), when we had a coalition government and lost it , I did not lose my heart. With courage I had taken up the responsibility (as KPCC President)," he said.
