Shivakumar denies receiving calls to arrange stay for MLAs from 5 states: Assembly elections

A day ahead of the announcement of results for the four States tomorrow, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said that nobody has given him any 'responsibility' regarding the arrangements for the stay of MLAs. However, replying to a question, Shivakumar said he would do whatever the party asked of him.

Bengaluru (Karnataka) : Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday sought to deny reports he has been asked to bring winning Congress candidates from five states where elections were held recently, to resorts and hotels in Karnataka ahead of the results.

Shivakumar was responding to reports that the Congress high command had asked him to replicate arrangements made for 44 Gujarat legislators during the August 2017 Rajya Sabha elections to prevent 'poaching'. "No MLAs will be going anywhere," he said.

"Nobody has given me a responsibility or called me. I have my own opinion on the poll analysis that is being shown by the media. I am confident that we will win all the states," Shivakumar told reporters here. Elections were held in Rajasthan, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Mizoram and the counting of polled votes is slated on Sunday.

Responding to a query on this, Shivakumar, who is the Karnataka Congress chief, said, "there is no need for them (MLAs) to go anywhere." He said that some people were trying to get in touch with the winning candidates in Telangana. However, the Congress will manage it locally, he added.

Sources close to Shivakumar said they have not yet been asked to make any arrangements for the stay of a large number of people. To a question, Shivakumar said he would do whatever the party asked of him, in case a Gujarat-like situation arose. On the possible election results, the Deputy Chief Minister said the reports in other states are good.

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