Karnataka CM tussle: Shivakumar, hit with 'stomach infection', flip-flops on going to Delhi

Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar, one of the two contenders for the chief minister's post, today said he will try to visit Delhi on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, Shivakumar said he had no plan to visit Delhi as today was his birthday and he had some personal commitments. Later, reports emerged that he would leave for Delhi. However, hours later, he said he had a stomach infection "and will not be travelling to Delhi today". 

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Now, it has emerged that he will visit Delhi on Tuesday. "I will try to go to Delhi tomorrow...The party high command will take a call. We all are one and we will work together," Shivakumar said while speaking to the news agency ANI. 

Speaking to the news agency PTI, Shivakumar said: "My health is not permitting me (to go to Delhi). I have stomach problems, blood pressure, and fever. Tomorrow I will reach." He said has been invited to Delhi for some discussion. 

After cancelling his Delhi visit on Monday, Shivakumar said, "There are 135 Congress MLAs. I don't have any MLAs. I've left the decision to the party high command." But hours before this statement, he had said that he was a single man and "a single man with courage becomes a majority". "When all our MLAs left the party (2019 JD(S)-Cong coalition govt), I didn't lose my heart," he said. Shivakumar also said that Congress got 135 MLAs under his leadership.  

The Congress is yet to decide who to appoint the next chief minister amid hectic lobbying by Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah. Today, three observers, who were sent to the southern state, submitted their report to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. However, no decision has been taken yet and the observers will meet again with Kharge to continue the discussion on Tuesday at 4 pm.

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Congress leader HK Patil said the decision on the next chief minister will be taken by Tuesday evening. "In my view, it (the name of the next Karnataka CM) will be decided by tomorrow evening. Our process is still on," he said. 

DK Shivakumar's brother DK Suresh on Monday met Kharge and said he wanted his brother to become the next chief minister. 

Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah has already reached Delhi to meet the top leadership of Congress. When asked when will the chief minister's announcement happen, he said: "Let's wait and see...I don't know." Earlier today, it was reported that Siddaramaiah was likely to be the next chief minister as most MLAs were favouring him.