Bengaluru: While the exit polls were released on Sunday (May 19), senior Karnataka Congress minister DK Shivakumar left for Australia with his family members for a week-long tour. He was not in the state during the Lok Sabha election results day (May 23). Now he has returned home.

However, the Congress leader's absence on the counting day and the timing of his foreign trip raised speculation in political circles as the troubleshooter was up to something big.

Water resources minister Shivakumar's tour to Australia came at a time when the state coalition government has been facing a delicate situation with Congress leaders expressing disappointment over the functioning of the government and JD(S) leader Basavaraj Horatti suggesting the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly.

The Congress’s troubleshooter, on Monday evening (May 27), returned to Bengaluru with his family members.

Speaking to reporters at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), Shivakumar said that he did not attempt to keep a track on anything on Lok Sabha election results day and had received little information on who was winning in Karnataka.

The Congress leader further refused to talk to media and said that he has closed his ears and mouth shut and will respond after meeting other Congress leaders in the state.