Shivakumar's Delhi Visit Sparks Speculation Amid Karnataka CM Tussle

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Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's trip to Delhi on Wednesday to attend a friend's son's wedding has sparked speculation about his intentions, amid a power struggle for the top position in the state. Shivakumar, who has been at odds with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the CM's position, flew into Delhi a day after meeting with the CM for the second time. Shivakumar's friend, Sanjeev Kumar, a former Haryana IAS officer, was released from jail in 2021 after serving a decade-long sentence for his role in the state teacher recruitment scam. The two men have remained close since Shivakumar befriended him during his 50-day stint in Tihar jail in 2019 on corruption allegations. Speaking to reporters, Shivakumar denied rumors that he was in Delhi for political meetings, stating that he had come to attend the wedding and make arrangements for the 14th Vote Chori rally, which is expected to draw over 10,000 people from Karnataka. Shivakumar will return to Karnataka early Thursday morning, as a cabinet meeting is scheduled for 11 am. He also clarified that he was not meeting with the party high command, saying that they were busy with Parliament. Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah, who is also vying for the top position, attended an event in Mangaluru to commemorate the centenary of social reformer Sri Narayana Guru's meeting with Mahatma Gandhi. He met with Congress general secretary KC Venugopal and had lunch with him. The power struggle between Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah has been ongoing for months, with reports of internal divisions in the state. The two leaders had reportedly agreed to a power-sharing arrangement after the 2023 assembly election, but that milestone was crossed in October, fueling speculation about their intentions. Shivakumar has often spoken about the unfairness of his incarceration in Tihar jail, where he was lodged after being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. He was released on bail in October 2019 and has since maintained that he was jailed for not joining the Bharatiya Janata Party, a charge refuted by the party.