Shivakumar cancels Davos trip, cites engagements in Delhi and Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Jan 17 (PTI) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has cancelled his scheduled visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, citing official engagements in New Delhi and Bengaluru.

"The Deputy CM has a series of meetings lined up with AICC functionaries regarding Assam assembly elections and is also spearheading the campaign against the union government over MGNREGA due to which a five-day special session of the Karnataka Assembly is scheduled to begin from January 22," his office said in a release on Saturday.

According to the Deputy CM's itinerary, Shivakumar, who was in Delhi to take part in a preparatory meeting in connection with the Assembly elections in Assam, will be travelling to Bidar in northern Karnataka this evening.

He will attend the funeral of former minister Bheemanna Khandre, who died late last night, at the age of 102, in Bidar.

Later, he will travel to New Delhi via Hyderabad at night.

The decision to skip the Davos summit, scheduled from January 18 and Shivakumar's return to Delhi has fuelled speculations about the stability of current leadership.

It also comes in the backdrop of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's brief conversation with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy Shivakumar on Tuesday evening, sparking rumours that the high command may be addressing the ongoing power tussle.

The leadership tussle in the ruling party has intensified after the Congress government crossed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20. The speculation has been fuelled by the reported 'power-sharing' arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar at the time of the government’s formation in 2023. PTI KSU ROH