Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar dismissed rumours suggesting that Congress MLAs from Tamil Nadu had travelled to Bengaluru amidst political shifts in the neighbouring state. He clarified that no such move had taken place, noting that he had received no instructions from the party high command regarding the matter. When questioned about reports of MLAs staying at a private resort, he explained that the facility in question was actually closed for renovation and suggested that conflicting media reports about the legislators moving to either Hyderabad or Bengaluru were unfounded.
Reflecting on his recent involvement in Tamil Nadu, Shivakumar mentioned he had only visited for manifesto releases and campaigning as directed by his leadership, and had not been briefed on any subsequent developments. He maintained a similar distance from the leadership selection process in Kerala, describing it as a standard internal party procedure that would involve discussions with all relevant leaders.
The Deputy Chief Minister also took a moment to offer his best wishes to former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on the occasion of a felicitation event organised by the BJP. Despite their differing political ideologies, Shivakumar expressed his respect for Yediyurappa’s service to the state, wishing him continued health and a long life. He mentioned his upcoming visit to the Shaneswara temple in Puducherry, remarking that it had been some time since he last visited a temple.
Addressing local governance, Shivakumar responded to criticisms from Opposition Leader R. Ashoka regarding the clearance of fallen trees in Bengaluru following recent weather. He insisted that work was well underway across the city, including the Palace Grounds, and that nearly 500 weak trees had already been identified for trimming or removal.
Finally, he hit back at controversies surrounding the allocation of IPL tickets to MLAs. Defending his request for a small quota of tickets, he argued that it was a standard practice for state governments to receive a portion of tickets and that he was merely acting on requests from representatives across all parties. He even questioned the political motives behind the criticism, suggesting that if opposition members were against the gesture, they feel free to return the tickets.
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