Bengaluru: Looks like Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s trip to Davos in Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) Summit will be cancelled. Though official sources did not confirm it, people close to the CM told Star of Mysore that the CM will return to Bengaluru tonight and the Davos trip was doubtful.
Bommai was scheduled to visit Europe for the WEF Summit and was slated to fly on May 22 and return only on May 26. He was one among the two Chief Ministers to be chosen by the BJP to attend the mega world event along with the CM of a non-BJP ruled State.
Sources said today that the Davos trip was doubtful and even Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani, who was supposed to accompany the CM to showcase Karnataka’s investment climate will not attend the Summit. This time, only officers will attend the conference minus Ministers and CMs.
Bommai was summoned to New Delhi yesterday and he left Bengaluru in a hurry in the afternoon after visiting certain rain-affected areas. He abruptly ended the rain visit and headed to Delhi where he met BJP Karnataka In-Charge Arun Singh late in the night. His sudden visit to Delhi had set off speculations that he would tender his resignation.
Though Bommai’s itinerary said that he will meet Union Ministers, the meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah did not happen despite the CM waiting till late in the night. Speaking to reporters this morning, Bommai said that the meeting with Amit Shah did not happen as the latter was busy in pre-engaged meetings. “I spoke to him at length about Cabinet expansion and the elections to Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council,” he said.
Basavaraj Bommai was visibly stoic when speaking to reporters and he was not in his usual self. Replying in a measured tone, he replied to a question that whether he would go to Davos when Karnataka, especially Bengaluru was reeling under floods and related miseries. “We will have to see various factors before deciding to go to Davos and a decision will be taken,” he said.
Though it is not yet known what transpired in the telephonic conversation between Amit Shah and Bommai and also the outcome of the meeting with Arun Singh, the CM’s facial expressions were a clear give away and it has once again given rise to speculations on his resignation.
This post was published on May 21, 2022 6:41 pm