Bengaluru, March 9 (NationPress) The prolonged visit of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar in Delhi on Monday has ignited debates and speculation in the state's political arena amidst the ongoing transition of Congress leadership.

As he approaches the milestone of completing six years as the head of the state Congress unit tomorrow (March 10), insiders within the party express that his extended presence in the capital has spurred numerous inquiries in political circles.

Regarding his stay, Shivakumar commented that there is a dinner scheduled for tomorrow, and that is the reason for his continued presence. The following day features a Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting, alongside a training session for legislators on budget presentation.

“I will be marking my six-year tenure as president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) tomorrow. Therefore, I am hosting a dinner for MLAs and MLCs. The next day, we have a program for candidates who did not win, plus district and block presidents of the party,” he elaborated.

“Given that the Assembly session is ongoing, I have prioritized inviting the legislators,” he added.

Shivakumar mentioned that he had come to Delhi on Sunday to attend a private wedding of a friend closely associated with former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.

“Today, I participated in a meeting concerning the upcoming elections in Assam, and now I am headed to the Congress office,” he informed.

He also noted, “A list of 43 candidates has been released for the Assam elections, and there is another screening committee meeting today. However, I am not part of that committee; my responsibilities lie elsewhere.”

As the observer for the Assam Assembly elections, Shivakumar met with Gaurav Gogoi, the president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, during his time in Delhi.

Originally, he was scheduled to return to Bengaluru at 10 a.m. on Monday.

Earlier, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had remarked that, with the people's blessing and permission from the party's high command, he would present two additional budgets in the remaining term of the government.

In response to inquiries regarding Shivakumar’s extended stay in Delhi, Satish Jarkiholi, the Minister for Public Works and a close ally of Siddaramaiah, remarked, “Let him remain in Delhi; we will manage things here.”

When questioned about Siddaramaiah's comments concerning budget presentations, particularly in light of Shivakumar's visit, Jarkiholi suggested that such questions should be directed to the respective leaders.

Meanwhile, Shivakumar’s close associates remain optimistic, speculating that now that Siddaramaiah has delivered his historic 17th budget, the party high command may soon provide Shivakumar with an opportunity.