"...Because It's My Birthday": DK Shivakumar Says Unsure About Delhi Visit

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief DK Shivakumar on Monday said that he is still in a dilemma, about whether he should go to Delhi or not.

Mr Shivakumar, one of the contenders for the Chief Minister's post in Karnataka, is expected to visit Delhi along with senior Congress leader and former State CM Siddaramaiah. They are likely to attend a meeting with the party's central leadership and team of observers.

A discussion on Chief Minister's face is likely to take place in the meeting after their win in the Karnataka assembly polls.

According to sources, the visit by both the CM candidates is cardinal in filling the State's top post.
"Still haven't decided whether to go or not," Shivakumar told the mediapersons when asked about his visit to Delhi today.

"I have not decided to go to Delhi still. Because a lot of people are coming from across the State and I have small rituals in my house as today is my birthday. There is some Puja and I have to go to some temples," he said.

However, he added that he passed a resolution, which will be given to the party's high command.
"We have passed a one-line resolution. We will leave it to the party high command," he said

Earlier in the day, Mr Shivakumar met with supporters, who gathered outside his residence in Bengaluru to greet him on his birthday.

Scores of Congress supporters waited for hours with cakes to wish the Congress leader.
Shivakumar was garlanded and given flower bouquets.

After Congress' impressive victory in the southern state which it won the Assembly elections with 135 votes, both state chief DK Shivakumar and senior leader Siddaramaiah are reportedly eyeing the post of chief minister.

Congress leader and All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala, on Sunday late night said that party chief Mallikarjun Kharge will not take long and announce the name of next chief minister of Karnataka soon.

Speaking to reporters after a late-night meeting of newly elected Congress MLAs in Karnataka's Bengaluru, Surjewala said, "Party leadership will take a decision. I can't replace my judgement with Kharge Sahab's judgement. He is our senior, and as you all know him. He is the son of the soil of Karnataka, and I'm sure he will not take very long."

"The winning party will be in the first cabinet when we will implement our first five guarantees," he said while responding to a query on plans for the oath-taking ceremony after the decision on the new CM of Karnataka.

Earlier, a huge number of supporters gathered outside the residence of Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar in Bengaluru on Sunday and raised slogans of 'We want DK Shivakumar as CM'.

Congress, which registered an emphatic victory defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka on Saturday, had been facing the challenge of deciding the chief minister amid speculations of Siddaramaiah being the front-runner followed by state party president DK Shivakumar.

Kharge on Sunday appointed three observers in Karnataka including former Maharashtra chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and party leaders Jitendra Singh and Deepak Babaria for the election of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader in the state.

According to the Election Commission of India, Congress on Saturday won 135 seats pushing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) out of power in the only southern state it ruled and boosting its own prospects for the electoral battles ahead.

BJP managed to win 66 seats. Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) bagged 19 seats. Independents have won two seats while Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha and Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha won one seat each.