BENGALURU: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President BK Hariprasad on Thursday said that those who want power and position can go with Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. Those who want to strengthen the struggle of Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjuna Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi can come with me, he said.
Hariprasad, an MLC, was appointed the state Congress president on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters he, however, clarified that he has been involved in the party since he was a student with the blessings of the high command. “I have never said that I want a ministerial position. I am a foot soldier of the party,” he said.
“I will follow the ideals of our elders and fulfill my responsibility. This country is at a crossroads. It doesn’t matter whether I belong to a backward class or an advanced class. I am more advanced than the advanced. It is a propaganda of WhatsApp University that I am the Chief Ministerial candidate for 2028. I have the responsibility of building the party,” he said.
He said that he has the responsibility to fight against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
“We should hit the streets and fight. We do not want the Gujarat model. I am proud of the Karnataka model. There is no colour in it. We will work in coordination with the government and the party,” he said.
Later, Hariprasad called on Shivakumar and held discussions on the political situation in the state.
Dynamic between CM & KPCC chief challenge for Cong brass
The Congress high command has a challenge ahead—the coordination and dynamic between CM Shivakumar and KPCC chief BK Hariprasad. They are poles apart in their approach to Hindutva and it would be a nervy test for the high command to keep the party and the government on the same page in the run up to the 2028 Assembly polls.
Hariprasad had switched to the Siddaramaiah camp a year before. Now, the Siddaramaiah camp is likely to align with Hariprasad creating another power centre. But it is to be seen how long Siddaramaiah’s sway over his supporters will sustain, say analysts.
According to party insiders, Hariprasad may continue his arm-twisting approach with DK Shivakumar but will be nudged by the high command. Both of them are the picks of Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chief Sonia Gandhi and her daughter, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Wayanad
MP. Hariprasad, a leader without mass base, has been made the KPCC chief to ensure that there will be no more power centres in the state, they added.
Hariprasad has to rely on Shivakumar to mobilise resources to run the show.
While addressing the party workers, Shivakumar has said that he will continue to be part and parcel of the party’s affairs. “For the party to do well in elections, Shivakumar’s support is inevitable,” a Congress leader said.
Hariprasad is likely to continue to attack the RSS over Hindutva issues which would be branded by the opposition as Muslim appeasement.
Shivakumar is likely to pursue his ‘soft Hindutva’ approach if Wednesday’s swearing in ceremony was any indication. Scores of Hindu religious heads attended the event at the insistence of Shivakumar. But electorally it is to be seen how the conflicting approaches strike a chord with the voters which may give rich dividends or spell doom for the party, according to analysts.
The BJP, in all probability, would mock the Congress to drive home a point that the party’s dual approach is just a symbolism to appease the voters, they observed.
The Congress high command has a challenge ahead—the coordination and dynamic between CM Shivakumar and KPCC chief BK Hariprasad. They are poles apart in their approach to Hindutva and it would be a nervy test for the high command to keep the party and the government on the same page in the run up to the 2028 Assembly polls.
Hariprasad had switched to the Siddaramaiah camp a year before. Now, the Siddaramaiah camp is likely to align with Hariprasad creating another power centre. But it is to be seen how long Siddaramaiah’s sway over his supporters will sustain, say analysts.
According to party insiders, Hariprasad may continue his arm-twisting approach with DK Shivakumar but will be nudged by the high command. Both of them are the picks of Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chief Sonia Gandhi and her daughter, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Wayanad
MP. Hariprasad, a leader without mass base, has been made the KPCC chief to ensure that there will be no more power centres in the state, they added.
Hariprasad has to rely on Shivakumar to mobilise resources to run the show.
While addressing the party workers, Shivakumar has said that he will continue to be part and parcel of the party’s affairs. “For the party to do well in elections, Shivakumar’s support is inevitable,” a Congress leader said.
Hariprasad is likely to continue to attack the RSS over Hindutva issues which would be branded by the opposition as Muslim appeasement.
Shivakumar is likely to pursue his ‘soft Hindutva’ approach if Wednesday’s swearing in ceremony was any indication. Scores of Hindu religious heads attended the event at the insistence of Shivakumar. But electorally it is to be seen how the conflicting approaches strike a chord with the voters which may give rich dividends or spell doom for the party, according to analysts.
The BJP, in all probability, would mock the Congress to drive home a point that the party’s dual approach is just a symbolism to appease the voters, they observed.
