Mangaluru, 3 Dec

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said he would not travel to New Delhi unless he is formally invited, while Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar flew to the capital to attend a wedding and to plan for a party event.

The two leaders recently displayed bonhomie by hosting breakfast for each other at their residences in Bengaluru to quell speculation about leadership change.

While the Deputy CM flew to Delhi, Siddaramaiah reached Mangaluru to take part in an event to commemorate centenary of social reformer Sri Narayana Guru’s meeting with Mahatma Gandhi.

Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal delivered the keynote address at the event and subsequently had a lunch meeting with the CM.

Before heading to Kaveri Guest House, Siddaramaiah told media that he did not discuss politics with the AICC General Secretary.

When reporters pointed out that Shivakumar was going to Delhi, he replied, “Let him go. Has anyone said no to him?”

Asked if he would go, he said, "I will go only when I am invited. I was not invited, so I am not going.”

He added that if there is any direction from the party High Command for a meeting in Delhi, it would be conveyed through Venugopal.

Before his departure, Shivakumar said he was travelling to Delhi to attend a marriage.

He also mentioned plans for a discussion at the Congress headquarters regarding a grand event on 14 December in Delhi's Ramleela Maidan on ‘Vote Chori’ campaign.

“On December 14, a Vote Chori event is happening in Delhi. So we are taking at least 300 workers from each district to Delhi. We have to take part in large numbers. I have told the district units to make arrangements to take them to Delhi,” Shivakumar told media before flying to Delhi.

Regarding Siddaramaiah's meeting with Venugopal, Shivakumar questioned, “What’s wrong in CM meeting Venugopal, Rahul Gandhi or Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge?”

DKS says his watch cost Rs 24 lakhs

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar addressed the watch controversy, saying that he had bought the watch seven years ago in Australia and paid Rs 24 lakh for with his official credit card for it.

“I have declared it in my election affidavit,” he told press. During the breakfast meeting on Tuesday, both Shivakumar and Chief Minister SIddaramaiah were spotted wearing luxury watches, which the BJP and JD(S) alleged cost Rs 43 lakh. Shivakumar defended Siddaramaiah, saying there was nothing wrong with him wearing the luxury Cartier watch. His son might have gifted it to him, Shivakumar said.