'I'm a responsible man, will not backstab and blackmail,' says DK Shivakumar as he leaves for Delhi

State Congress chief DK Shivakumar, one of the two contenders for the post, will fly to Delhi today. Before leaving from Bengaluru, he said, "Whether they like me or not, I am a responsible man. I will not backstab and I will not blackmail."

All eyes are now focused on the Congress central leadership, which must choose the new chief minister of Karnataka after much deliberation, one-on-one meetings with legislators, and even a "secret ballot." The suspense over who will be the new Karnataka chief minister continued on Tuesday. With the choice of the Karnataka CM still up in the mix, DK Shivakumar, the head of the Karnataka Congress, will travel to Delhi on Tuesday. Shivakumar remained in Bengaluru owing to a stomach infection, while Congress leader Siddaramaiah arrived in Delhi on Monday.

Before leaving for Delhi, Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar said, "Ours is a united house, our number is 135. I don't want to divide anyone here. Whether they like me or not, I am a responsible man. I will not backstab and I will not blackmail."

He further said Sonia Gandhi had called him alone. Calling Sonia Gandhi a role model, Shivakumar said Congress is family for everyone." He said they have built this party (Congress), have built this house.

"Our constitution is very much important, so we have to protect everyone's interest. My health is fine now. People have blessed the party. I have done my duty. The party is my temple,” he added.

Amid the ongoing tussle over the selection of the next Karnataka CM, DK Shivkumar wished his colleague Siddharamaiah "best wishes" on Monday.

In the 224-member assembly elections conducted on May 10, the Congress party won a comfortable majority of 135 seats, marking its best-ever showing in Karnataka since 1999. The regions of Old Mysuru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Central Karnataka have seen major advances for the party.