DK Shivakumar dismisses 'show of strength' rumours, lobbying claims

Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar appealed to supporters not to lobby for him in Delhi. He dismissed rumours of a 'show of strength' and said he would bring the ministerial aspirations of newcomers to the party leaders' attention.

'No Need to Lobby For Me'

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said on Friday that there was no need for anyone to go to Delhi to lobby for him. In a statement, he said, "I appeal to everyone not to go to Delhi to lobby for me. If you have personal requests or are aspiring for Cabinet positions, you can go to Delhi. But you do not need to go to Delhi to bat for me." He was replying to questions on rumours about some MLAs and ministers planning to visit Delhi in his support."

When asked if the meeting of over 40 MLAs on the occasion of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA Balakrishna's birthday celebrations was a show of strength, he said, "No show of strength. Some MLAs travel abroad for leisure and study-tours, some go to Delhi, and some others meet for dinners. What they do for personal reasons has nothing to do with the party."

When drawn his attention to statements by some MLAs that they would like to see him as the CM, Shivakumar said that no one has personally spoken to me about it. "I don't know about it. No one has personally spoken to me about it. Some have aspirations; it is natural for newcomers to aspire to become ministers. Parameshwar, H K Patil, Mahadevappa, Siddaramaiah and I became ministers at a very young age. We are all old now, and the newcomers are expressing their desire to become ministers. I will bring this to the attention of the party leaders in Delhi," the Karnataka Deputy CM said.

On Vinay Kulkarni's Bail

Replying to a question on Vinay Kulkarni getting bail, Shivakumar said that justice has been delivered. He added that this was a victory for him, his family and the people of his constituency. "There is a limit to harassment. The Yediyurappa government had handed over the case to the CBI. He was barred from entering his own constituency. He was barred from seeking votes, but we respected the court orders. The court has noticed all this and has given him bail. I have been watching this case; this is a victory for him, his family and the people of his constituency. I have also gone through harassment. I pray to God to give strength to Vinay Kulakarni to deal with this and thank the Court for giving justice," he said.

Govt to Fill Vacant Posts

When asked about the cabinet decision on filling up vacant positions, he said, "Though we have a new reservation scheme, we will be initiating hiring of 56,000 positions under the old order of 2022. We had promised jobs for the youth, and we will deliver them. We have to fill up one lakh posts, but we have decided to do it in a phased manner to ensure opportunities for everyone. Eventually, we have to fill up about 2.84 lakh jobs, but it will be done in phases."

'Historic' Cauvery 6th Stage Approved

When asked if there would be no shortage of water this summer, he said that the cabinet has approved the Cauvery sixth stage, labelling it as "historic". He said that the government was planning the sixth stage for Rs 7,000 crore, keeping in mind the population growth of the city. "Cabinet approving the Cauvery 6th stage yesterday is a historic decision. We are planning the 6th stage for Rs 7,000 crore, keeping in mind the population growth of the city. We are taking financial help from JICA. I had approved 6 TMC of water for Bengaluru as soon as I took office," Shivakumar said.

Replying to a question on GBA elections, he said the process was going on as per the Court orders. (ANI)

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