I always live with hope, confidence; time will answer: D K Shivakumar on leadership issue
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, who returned from New Delhi after meeting the Congress high command amid the leadership tussle in the state, on Friday said he lives with "hope and confidence" and that there will always be fruit for the efforts made.
He also reiterated that "time will answer", in the wake of reports that both he and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah may soon be called to New Delhi by the party leadership to discuss a possible transition of power.
"I always live with hope and confidence. There will always be fruit for the effort, whether it is for you, for me, or for anyone else. Where there is effort, there is fruit; where there is devotion, there is God," Shivakumar told reporters in response to a question after returning from New Delhi.
Asked whether the fruit of his efforts could be expected soon, he said, "Let’s talk about that some other time."
Responding to reports that both he and Siddaramaiah would be summoned to New Delhi around February 17 by the Congress high command to discuss a possible power transition, Shivakumar said, "I don’t know. Let’s see. Time will answer everything."
Shivakumar met senior party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, as well as AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, during his New Delhi visit.
On Thursday, the Deputy CM had told reporters in Delhi that the leadership issue was not discussed with the party’s top brass, but added that "patience will also pay". He had said the party’s central leadership would take a call at an appropriate time in the interest of the state.
The leadership tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculation about a possible change of chief minister after the Congress government completed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, 2025.
The speculation has been fuelled by a reported power-sharing arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar at the time of the government’s formation in 2023.
Siddaramaiah had on Wednesday asserted that both he and Shivakumar should abide by the Congress high command’s decision on the chief ministerial change issue.
Amid reports that some party legislators are planning a foreign tour to Australia and New Zealand, with speculation linking it to the ongoing power tussle within the ruling party, Shivakumar—who is also the state Congress chief—said he was not aware of it and would inquire.
"I have not received any report on this, nor have I tried to obtain information about it. Now that you have brought it to my notice, I will inquire," he said, responding to a question about the legislators’ foreign tour, with some describing it as a study tour and others calling it personal.
When asked whether the Congress high command had sought any details on the tour, he said, "No one from the high command has spoken to me about this. Neither those going on the tour have spoken to me, nor those sending them."
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Mumbai-Pune Expressway ‘missing link’ to open on May 1; will improve travel safety: Shinde
Mumbai (PTI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said the long-awaited ‘missing link’ on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, aimed at bypassing the winding Bhor Ghat section and improving safety, will be inaugurated on May 1.
Shinde, who inspected the project site, said the new stretch will make the expressway fully access-controlled, easing congestion in the hilly section.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is likely to inaugurate the 13.3-km-long missing link, which connects Khopoli on the Mumbai side to Kusgaon near Lonavala, on Maharashtra Day, which is celebrated on May 1, he said.
The deputy CM said that 99 per cent of the project work has been completed. “I personally inspected the quality of work and found it satisfactory. The remaining minor works will be completed in the next few days,” Shinde said.
Shinde said the new alignment will bypass sharp curves and accident-prone stretches in the ghat section, helping reduce delays and improve commuter safety. He claimed accidents in the section would reduce substantially once the project becomes operational.
“The missing link project will make travel between Mumbai and Pune quicker, safer and more convenient, and will contribute significantly to the state’s development,” he said.
The Rs 6,700-crore project, developed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), includes two tunnels, high viaducts and a cable-stayed bridge over Tiger Valley.
The missing link will reduce the travel distance between Mumbai and Pune by approximately 6 km and shorten the journey time by 20 to 30 minutes, said officials.
Initially, only light motor vehicles and buses will be permitted on the new stretch to reduce congestion on the existing ghat section, officials said, adding that heavy goods vehicles will be prohibited due to safety concerns.
“There will be no toll hike because of the missing link project. No increase has been proposed at the Khalapur toll plaza either,” Shinde said.
The project comprises two eight-lane tunnels of 1.75 km and 8.92 km in length and two viaducts measuring 850 metres and 650 metres, said officials. It has been designed to bypass the old Khandala ghat section, a winding route that has long slowed down traffic and posed safety risks, said officials.
The 650-metre viaduct will feature what officials described as India’s tallest road cable-stayed bridge, with pylons rising to 182 metres, taller than those on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.
Officials claimed that the tunnels have a width of 23.75 metres and are among the widest road tunnels in the world. An MSRDC official said the tunnel is likely to be included in the Guinness Book of Records.
The route runs beneath the Lonavala lake area and was executed in difficult terrain marked by heavy rainfall and strong winds, officials said.
Shinde said projects such as the missing link would boost access to tourist destinations such as Lohagad Fort, Visapur Fort and Karla Caves.
MP Shrirang Barne, former corporator Abasaheb Bagul, MSRDC Managing Director Anilkumar Gaikwad and senior engineers from executing agencies were present during the inspection, officials said.
Krishnamurthy Subramanian, executive chairman of construction and engineering company Afcons International Private Limited, said the journey to completion of “India’s highest road cable-stayed bridge” was challenging.
“The bridge, located in the Sahyadri region, presented extreme challenges, including narrow ridges that left little room for heavy machinery, sudden wind speeds reaching up to 100 kmph, and dense fog reducing visibility to a few metres. Despite these conditions, we are proud to deliver this engineering marvel,” he said.
The expressway, spanning approximately 95 km, holds the distinction of being India's first access-controlled highway.
