Bengaluru: As the race for the next Karnataka Chief Minister intensifies, Karnataka PCC chief D K Shivakumar reached Delhi to meet the Congress party high command on Tuesday.
After arriving at Delhi airport, he did not speak to the media and walked away with folded hands parrying a barrage of questions from reporters.
“Congress general secretary has asked me to come alone, I'm going to Delhi alone. My health is good,” Shivakumar had said before leaving for the national capital.
"Winning 20 seats in the Lok Sabha is the next challenge. Ours is a united house, our number is 135. I don't want to divide anyone here. Whether they like me or not, I am a responsible man. I will not backstab and I will not blackmail," he added.
Speaking to reporters in Karnataka, he said: "People have blessed us (Congress). We have to put efforts unitedly to save and grow the public trust on us...may the people of Kannada naadu (region), mother Bhuvaneshwari and mother Chamundeshwari (goddesses) continue to bless us to protect the Constitution and make Karnataka 'Sarva Janangada Shantiya Thota' (Garden where all communities live in harmony)."
Shivakumar, who was supposed to meet Sonia Gandhi on Monday, had cancelled his meeting citing ill health. He had turned emotional and was in tears after Congress achieved remarkable victory in the May 10 Assembly polls. He maintained that he had kept the word given to Sonia Gandhi. He said he had dedicated 135 MLAs to the Congress and it is now up to the party to take a call.
Meanwhile, sources in the Congress party confirmed that majority of MLAs have expressed their willingness for senior leader Siddaramaiah to take up the top post. According to the sources, Siddaramaiah has the backing of more than 80 MLAs. Siddaramaiah reached Delhi on Monday.
The party high command, which had clarified from the beginning of making the candiddate who had the support of MLAs as the Chief Minister, is now in a difficult position as Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar is also vouching for the post.
Usually, the President of Congress party becomes the Chief Minister without hassles.
Meanwhile, DK Suresh, an MP from Bengaluru Rural and also Shivakumar's brother, met AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and urged that his brother should become the Chief Minister.
Sources explained that an announcement would be made by the end of Tuesday and the new Chief Minister will take charge by Wednesday or Thursday.
The three central observers of the Congress, who interacted with newly elected party MLAs on their choice for Chief Minister, briefed party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and submitted their report on Monday.
The Congress Legislature Party (CLP), which met at a hotel in Bengaluru on Sunday, had passed a unanimous resolution authorising Kharge to pick the next Chief Minister of Karnataka.
In the just-concluded Assembly elections, the Congress scored an emphatic victory with 135 seats, while the ruling BJP and the former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) secured 66 and 19 seats, respectively.
(With PTI inputs.)
