diff --git a/rw_core/config/config.go b/rw_core/config/config.go
index dca40d0..3d95f33 100644
--- a/rw_core/config/config.go
+++ b/rw_core/config/config.go
@@ -41,8 +41,6 @@
 	defaultRWCoreKey                 = "pki/voltha.key"
 	defaultRWCoreCert                = "pki/voltha.crt"
 	defaultRWCoreCA                  = "pki/voltha-CA.pem"
-	defaultAffinityRouterTopic       = "affinityRouter"
-	defaultInCompetingMode           = true
 	defaultLongRunningRequestTimeout = 2000 * time.Millisecond
 	defaultDefaultRequestTimeout     = 1000 * time.Millisecond
 	defaultCoreTimeout               = 1000 * time.Millisecond
@@ -72,8 +70,6 @@
 	RWCoreKey                 string
 	RWCoreCert                string
 	RWCoreCA                  string
-	AffinityRouterTopic       string
-	InCompetingMode           bool
 	LongRunningRequestTimeout time.Duration
 	DefaultRequestTimeout     time.Duration
 	DefaultCoreTimeout        time.Duration
@@ -103,8 +99,6 @@
 		RWCoreKey:                 defaultRWCoreKey,
 		RWCoreCert:                defaultRWCoreCert,
 		RWCoreCA:                  defaultRWCoreCA,
-		AffinityRouterTopic:       defaultAffinityRouterTopic,
-		InCompetingMode:           defaultInCompetingMode,
 		DefaultRequestTimeout:     defaultDefaultRequestTimeout,
 		LongRunningRequestTimeout: defaultLongRunningRequestTimeout,
 		DefaultCoreTimeout:        defaultCoreTimeout,
@@ -136,11 +130,7 @@
 	help = fmt.Sprintf("RW Core topic")
 	flag.StringVar(&(cf.CoreTopic), "rw_core_topic", defaultCoreTopic, help)
 
-	help = fmt.Sprintf("Affinity Router topic")
-	flag.StringVar(&(cf.AffinityRouterTopic), "affinity_router_topic", defaultAffinityRouterTopic, help)
-
-	help = fmt.Sprintf("In competing Mode - two cores competing to handle a transaction ")
-	flag.BoolVar(&cf.InCompetingMode, "in_competing_mode", defaultInCompetingMode, help)
+	flag.Bool("in_competing_mode", false, "deprecated")
 
 	help = fmt.Sprintf("KV store type")
 	flag.StringVar(&(cf.KVStoreType), "kv_store_type", defaultKVStoreType, help)
diff --git a/rw_core/core/api/grpc_nbi_handler_test.go b/rw_core/core/api/grpc_nbi_handler_test.go
index 2eff4a4..77c0b06 100755
--- a/rw_core/core/api/grpc_nbi_handler_test.go
+++ b/rw_core/core/api/grpc_nbi_handler_test.go
@@ -94,7 +94,6 @@
 	cfg.CoreTopic = "rw_core"
 	cfg.DefaultRequestTimeout = nb.defaultTimeout
 	cfg.DefaultCoreTimeout = nb.defaultTimeout
-	cfg.InCompetingMode = inCompeteMode
 	cfg.KVStoreAddress = "127.0.0.1" + ":" + strconv.Itoa(nb.kvClientPort)
 	grpcPort, err := freeport.GetFreePort()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -112,8 +111,7 @@
 	nb.kmp = kafka.NewInterContainerProxy(
 		kafka.InterContainerAddress(cfg.KafkaAdapterAddress),
 		kafka.MsgClient(nb.kClient),
-		kafka.DefaultTopic(&kafka.Topic{Name: cfg.CoreTopic}),
-		kafka.DeviceDiscoveryTopic(&kafka.Topic{Name: cfg.AffinityRouterTopic}))
+		kafka.DefaultTopic(&kafka.Topic{Name: cfg.CoreTopic}))
 
 	endpointMgr := kafka.NewEndpointManager(backend)
 	proxy := model.NewDBPath(backend)
diff --git a/rw_core/core/core.go b/rw_core/core/core.go
index 0cfa915..801b72c 100644
--- a/rw_core/core/core.go
+++ b/rw_core/core/core.go
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@
 
 	// connect to kafka, then wait until reachable and publisher/consumer created
 	// core.kmp must be created before deviceMgr and adapterMgr
-	kmp, err := startKafkInterContainerProxy(ctx, kafkaClient, cf.KafkaAdapterAddress, cf.CoreTopic, cf.AffinityRouterTopic, cf.ConnectionRetryInterval)
+	kmp, err := startKafkInterContainerProxy(ctx, kafkaClient, cf.KafkaAdapterAddress, cf.CoreTopic, cf.ConnectionRetryInterval)
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.Warn("Failed to setup kafka connection")
 		return
diff --git a/rw_core/core/device/agent_test.go b/rw_core/core/device/agent_test.go
index 93277ff..5af75ec 100755
--- a/rw_core/core/device/agent_test.go
+++ b/rw_core/core/device/agent_test.go
@@ -111,12 +111,11 @@
 	return test
 }
 
-func (dat *DATest) startCore(inCompeteMode bool) {
+func (dat *DATest) startCore() {
 	cfg := config.NewRWCoreFlags()
 	cfg.CoreTopic = "rw_core"
 	cfg.DefaultRequestTimeout = dat.defaultTimeout
 	cfg.KVStoreAddress = "127.0.0.1" + ":" + strconv.Itoa(dat.kvClientPort)
-	cfg.InCompetingMode = inCompeteMode
 	grpcPort, err := freeport.GetFreePort()
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.Fatal("Cannot get a freeport for grpc")
@@ -132,8 +131,7 @@
 	dat.kmp = kafka.NewInterContainerProxy(
 		kafka.InterContainerAddress(cfg.KafkaAdapterAddress),
 		kafka.MsgClient(dat.kClient),
-		kafka.DefaultTopic(&kafka.Topic{Name: cfg.CoreTopic}),
-		kafka.DeviceDiscoveryTopic(&kafka.Topic{Name: cfg.AffinityRouterTopic}))
+		kafka.DefaultTopic(&kafka.Topic{Name: cfg.CoreTopic}))
 
 	endpointMgr := kafka.NewEndpointManager(backend)
 	proxy := model.NewDBPath(backend)
@@ -252,7 +250,7 @@
 		defer da.stopAll()
 		log.SetPackageLogLevel("github.com/opencord/voltha-go/rw_core/core", log.DebugLevel)
 		// Start the Core
-		da.startCore(false)
+		da.startCore()
 
 		var wg sync.WaitGroup
 		numConCurrentDeviceAgents := 20
@@ -272,7 +270,7 @@
 
 	log.SetPackageLogLevel("github.com/opencord/voltha-go/rw_core/core", log.DebugLevel)
 	// Start the Core
-	da.startCore(false)
+	da.startCore()
 	da.oltAdapter, da.onuAdapter = tst.CreateAndregisterAdapters(t, da.kClient, da.coreInstanceID, da.oltAdapterName, da.onuAdapterName, da.adapterMgr)
 
 	a := da.createDeviceAgent(t)
@@ -288,7 +286,7 @@
 	defer da.stopAll()
 
 	// Start the Core
-	da.startCore(false)
+	da.startCore()
 	da.oltAdapter, da.onuAdapter = tst.CreateAndregisterAdapters(t, da.kClient, da.coreInstanceID, da.oltAdapterName, da.onuAdapterName, da.adapterMgr)
 	a := da.createDeviceAgent(t)
 	cloned := a.getDeviceWithoutLock()
diff --git a/rw_core/core/device/logical_agent_test.go b/rw_core/core/device/logical_agent_test.go
index 40c6b9c..1b1dc59 100644
--- a/rw_core/core/device/logical_agent_test.go
+++ b/rw_core/core/device/logical_agent_test.go
@@ -136,7 +136,6 @@
 	cfg.CoreTopic = "rw_core"
 	cfg.DefaultRequestTimeout = lda.defaultTimeout
 	cfg.KVStoreAddress = "127.0.0.1" + ":" + strconv.Itoa(lda.kvClientPort)
-	cfg.InCompetingMode = inCompeteMode
 	grpcPort, err := freeport.GetFreePort()
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.Fatal("Cannot get a freeport for grpc")
@@ -152,8 +151,7 @@
 	lda.kmp = kafka.NewInterContainerProxy(
 		kafka.InterContainerAddress(cfg.KafkaAdapterAddress),
 		kafka.MsgClient(lda.kClient),
-		kafka.DefaultTopic(&kafka.Topic{Name: cfg.CoreTopic}),
-		kafka.DeviceDiscoveryTopic(&kafka.Topic{Name: cfg.AffinityRouterTopic}))
+		kafka.DefaultTopic(&kafka.Topic{Name: cfg.CoreTopic}))
 
 	endpointMgr := kafka.NewEndpointManager(backend)
 	proxy := model.NewDBPath(backend)
diff --git a/rw_core/core/device/manager.go b/rw_core/core/device/manager.go
index 51da0e1..92b7f20 100755
--- a/rw_core/core/device/manager.go
+++ b/rw_core/core/device/manager.go
@@ -1055,14 +1055,6 @@
 		}()
 	}
 
-	// Publish on the messaging bus that we have discovered new devices
-	go func() {
-		err := dMgr.kafkaICProxy.DeviceDiscovered(agent.deviceID, deviceType, parentDeviceID, dMgr.coreInstanceID)
-		if err != nil {
-			logger.Errorw("unable-to-discover-the-device", log.Fields{"error": err})
-		}
-	}()
-
 	return childDevice, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/rw_core/core/kafka.go b/rw_core/core/kafka.go
index 3cb0292..0f28d66 100644
--- a/rw_core/core/kafka.go
+++ b/rw_core/core/kafka.go
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 )
 
 // startKafkInterContainerProxy is responsible for starting the Kafka Interadapter Proxy
-func startKafkInterContainerProxy(ctx context.Context, kafkaClient kafka.Client, address string, coreTopic, affinityRouterTopic string, connectionRetryInterval time.Duration) (kafka.InterContainerProxy, error) {
+func startKafkInterContainerProxy(ctx context.Context, kafkaClient kafka.Client, address string, coreTopic string, connectionRetryInterval time.Duration) (kafka.InterContainerProxy, error) {
 	logger.Infow("initialize-kafka-manager", log.Fields{"address": address, "topic": coreTopic})
 
 	probe.UpdateStatusFromContext(ctx, "message-bus", probe.ServiceStatusPreparing)
@@ -38,8 +38,7 @@
 	kmp := kafka.NewInterContainerProxy(
 		kafka.InterContainerAddress(address),
 		kafka.MsgClient(kafkaClient),
-		kafka.DefaultTopic(&kafka.Topic{Name: coreTopic}),
-		kafka.DeviceDiscoveryTopic(&kafka.Topic{Name: affinityRouterTopic}))
+		kafka.DefaultTopic(&kafka.Topic{Name: coreTopic}))
 
 	probe.UpdateStatusFromContext(ctx, "message-bus", probe.ServiceStatusPrepared)