Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, May 24: D K Shivakumar, who has emerged as a saviour during critical situations for Congress party on several occasions, had put forth his claim for the post of the deputy chief minister. However, permutations and combinations as well as the pressing need to keep leaders of various communities satisfied, forced the party leaders against giving this post to Shivakumar, who was disgruntled at this denial. All India Congress Committee president, Rahul Gandhi, and senior leader, Sonia Gandhi, spoke to Shivakumar and succeeded in convincing him about the predicament the party has been facing. Shivakumar seems to have got his composure back after having a dialogue with the duo.

On their arrival from New Delhi, both Sonia and Rahul directly headed for the hotel where the Congress MLAs have been put up, and advised the legislators to stay united. They then met Shivakumar separately and talked him into understanding the issues they are concerned with and things which have made it impossible to offer him the post of the deputy chief minister. They reportedly appreciated the Vokkaliga leader for invaluable contributions made by him to the party and promised to reward him for his service suitably in future. It is learnt that Shivakumar also got the assurance that he would be made the next president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee.

Reportedly, Shivakumar's brother, D K Suresh, who is a MP, had got angry at the party's decision against making Shivakumar the deputy chief minister, and had left the hotel where the Congress MLAs are residing, on Tuesday night. It is said that Suresh laid bare his sense of despair in the presence of several legislators at the fact that services provided by his brother to the party had not been suitably rewarded and they seemed to be required to do hard work without any reward. He is said to have expressed anger at the fact that they were the ones who kept the flock of legislators together, and helped the party to win several seats by touring the state, whereas the post of the deputy chief minister has been given to a person who just had done work in his own constituency.

Reports said that after Sonia and Rahul talked to him, Shivakumar cooled down and seemed to have been convinced about stand taken by them.