No rebellion in Congress state unit: DKS

Shivakumar told reporters at the airport here on Wednesday that all the 136 MLAs of Congress were united and its BJP leaders who were planting such stories.

Belagavi: Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar denied that a section of Congress MLAs were dissatisfied and would rebel against the party. None of them were against him, including Public Works Department Minister Satish Jarkiholi, Shivakumar asserted.

Shivakumar told reporters at the airport here on Wednesday that all 136 MLAs of Congress were united, and it is the BJP leaders who were planting such stories.

He said he was unaware of Satish Jarkiholi leading a team of 20 dissident MLAs and undertaking a tour with them.

On a query about Congress witnessing dissident activities from Belagavi district earlier and whether a repeat of the same could occur, he said no such acts would take place.

Ministers Satish Jarkiholi, Laxmi Hebbalkar and MLAs from the district were busy with their personnel engagements; hence, they were not present to receive him. "I, too, was not on an official visit. It should not be construed as a difference of opinion," Shivakumar stated.