Karnataka Congress president and top contender for the CM post, DK Shivakumar on Tuesday said the party is his mother and there was no question of him resigning from the organisation. Amid the conundrum on the name for the next Karnataka chief minister, Shivakumar left to meet party president Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence in the national capital.
“My mother is my party, We have built this party. No question,” he said when asked to comment on reports that he may resign from the party if not given the chief minister’s post.
“If any channel is reporting that I am resigning from the post, I will file a defamation case against them…Some of them are reporting that I will resign and all, all bull**. Nothing,” he said while speaking to reporters and told that he has come to Delhi to meet the party president.
On being asked if he will meet Rahul Gandhi, the Karnataka leader said, “I have to meet all leaders. First, I have to meet my Congress president.” “My high command is there, my party is there, our MLAs are there – 135.”
Shivakumar met with Kharge at the latter’s residence to discuss the government formation in the southern state after the party staged a stupendous victory by winning 135 seats out of a total of 224.
Soon after reaching Delhi, Shivakumar went straight to his brother D K Suresh’s office and residence at Kaveri Apartments. He also had his lunch there. Suresh also backed his brother’s claim for the post of chief minister saying the party has won under his (Shivakumar’s) leadership as Pradesh Congress chief.
Suresh also met with Kharge on Monday after Shivakumar canceled his visit to Delhi citing health issues. The Karnataka Congress chief arrived in the national capital this morning.
Both Shivakumar and former chief minister Siddaramaiah are staking claim on the top post and are set to meet the party’s top leadership before a decision on the new chief minister of Karnataka is taken.