Tejasvi Surya, Member of Parliament from the BJP, extended his congratulations to Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday after he became a grandfather, acknowledging his dedication to balancing personal milestones with public responsibilities.

In a post on X, Surya recounted an incident from Shivakumar’s demanding schedule in South Bengaluru, where he attended multiple public events despite receiving several calls about his daughter’s delivery. Surya wrote, “Today, DCM D K Shivakumar participated in several programs in South Bengaluru. While travelling in the car between programs, he used to get repeated calls from home. When asked, he said, ‘Today is the delivery of my daughter. I am becoming a grandfather.’ On the one hand, it is the happiest moment for the family. On the other hand, it is a public responsibility. However, he participated in all the programs, including the inauguration of the flyover and the laying of the foundation stone of the skywalk. It is said that the first casualty of public life is personal life. In such situations, the meaning of that saying becomes even clearer. Heartfelt congratulations to D K Shivakumar, the grandfather. May God bless his daughter Aishwarya, the child and the family with long life, health and happiness.”

Meanwhile, amidst discussions about a possible leadership change in Karnataka, Shivakumar reaffirmed his loyalty to the Congress party. Speaking to ANI, he said, “As a Congress man, I have been very loyal to the party. Our party leaders’ words are very important. We will go by the party’s directions.” This statement followed Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s clarification that any decision regarding a potential change in Karnataka’s Chief Minister would be made collectively by the party’s high command, including himself, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi.