New Delhi: A day after quitting as Karnataka Chief Minister following a direction from the Congress High Command, acting CM Siddaramaiah met the Congress top brass here this morning.

Siddaramaiah first visited the residence of former AICC President Sonia Gandhi and Opposition Leader in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi at 10, Janpath residence and expressed his gratitude to them. In a show of bonhomie, Siddu and Rahul hugged each other.

Later, Siddu, accompanied by his MLC son Dr. Yathindra and former Ministers K.J. George and Priyank Kharge, met AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge at the latter’s residence located on Rajaji Marg, New Delhi and expressed gratitude to him. 

Siddaramaiah, after tendering his resignation to the Governor’s Special Secretary in Bengaluru on Thursday afternoon in the absence of Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, left for Delhi by a special flight at about 4.30 pm.

He was accompanied by MLC Dr. Yathindra, K.J. George and Byrathi Suresh, who were Ministers in his cabinet, his Legal Advisor A.S. Ponnanna and AICC Secretary In-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala.

However, the New Delhi flight is said to have been diverted to Jaipur due to inclement weather conditions and Siddaramaiah was forced to stay overnight at Jaipur. He is learnt to have reached Delhi in early today.

Meanwhile, former Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, who is also the KPCC President, visited his revered Ajjayyana Mutt in Tiptur taluk of Tumkur district yesterday evening, where he offered special pujas.

He too is said to have left for Delhi late last night. Shivakumar, who is tipped to succeed Siddaramaiah as the Chief Minister, too is likely to meet Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and other top Congress leaders later in the day.