Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar mentioned that meeting with Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is a regular occurrence for him and is considered a natural process. This statement was made during a media interaction before his trip to New Delhi for a Congress meeting with election observers from different states. Shivakumar, who is also the state party chief, has been designated as the senior election observer for Assam.
When asked if he had requested a meeting with Rahul Gandhi, Shivakumar responded that he would meet all leaders upon his arrival in Delhi, as they would be present there. Addressing the happiness of his supporters and camp MLAs after his encounter with Rahul Gandhi at the Mysuru airport, Shivakumar emphasized that meeting party leaders and the President, as well as engaging in phone discussions, is a routine practice that is not publicly disclosed.
Regarding conveying the desire of his close associates for him to become the Chief Minister to Rahul Gandhi, Shivakumar stated that he would communicate the media’s wishes to him. He clarified the context of his cryptic social media post, stating that interpreting it differently was unnecessary. The post, which followed a meeting and private conversation with Rahul Gandhi, had sparked various speculations.
Shivakumar further explained that his post was a message of Sankranti greetings to the people of Karnataka, emphasizing that prayers do not fail even if efforts do. He dismissed the varied interpretations by some media outlets and highlighted favorable court rulings in the Cauvery Aarti case and directions from the Central Water Commission on the Mekedatu project. He stressed that there was no need to view his statement differently.
