The Congress high command on Wednesday, June 3, appointed senior leader BK Hariprasad as the new president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). He replaced Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who stepped down from the post after becoming Chief Minister.
The appointment was announced by All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal. In a statement, the party said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had approved Hariprasad's appointment with immediate effect and acknowledged Shivakumar's contribution as KPCC chief.
The organisational reshuffle comes as the Congress also announced its candidates for four of the seven Karnataka Legislative Council seats that are due for election later this month. Hariprasad has been retained for the Council polls along with Tippannappa Kamakanur, while PV Mohan and Shivanna Malavalli have been given nominations for the remaining seats.
A veteran Congress leader, Hariprasad has held several positions in the party organisation and previously served as a Rajya Sabha member. The 72-year-old leader, who belongs to the Billava community, is currently a member of the Karnataka Legislative Council. Though his current term is ending this month, the party has renominated him for another term.
Born in Bengaluru and trained in commerce, Hariprasad has been associated with the Congress for decades and was considered one of the leaders closest to late Congress strategist Ahmed Patel. Following Patel's death, his role increasingly shifted towards Karnataka politics.
Hariprasad has often been one of the Congress party's most outspoken voices against the BJP and Hindutva organisations. He has also, on occasion, publicly differed with senior Congress leaders, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. One such disagreement had prompted Siddaramaiah to personally meet Hariprasad at his residence to resolve differences.
He had earlier courted controversy nationally after describing the 2019 Pulwama terror attack as "match-fixing", a remark that drew sharp criticism from political opponents.
The change marks the end of Shivakumar's six-year tenure as KPCC president. Widely credited with rebuilding the party organisation across Karnataka, Shivakumar played a central role in the Congress' victory in the 2023 Assembly elections and its return to power in the state. After assuming office as Chief Minister, he submitted his resignation as state party chief to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge.
The Congress' choice of candidates for the Legislative Council elections has also attracted attention as all four nominees belong to Other Backward Classes (OBC) communities, a move being viewed as a significant political signal ahead of future electoral contests.
Elections have been announced for seven vacant seats in the Karnataka Legislative Council following the retirement of members Govindaraju, Naseer Ahmed, MTB Nagaraj, Pratap Simha Nayak, Tippannappa Kamakanur, Sunil Valyapure and BK Hariprasad.
The election notification was issued by Karnataka Assembly Secretary and Returning Officer MK Vishalakshi. June 8 is the last date for filing nominations, while scrutiny will take place on June 9. Candidates can withdraw their nominations until June 11.
Polling, if required, will be conducted on June 18 between 9 am and 4 pm in Vidhana Soudha. Counting of votes will begin at 5 pm on the same day, and the election process is scheduled to conclude by June 20.
(With IANS inputs)