Bengaluru, June 3, 2026
A major organisational change in the Karnataka Congress took place on Wednesday as the All India Congress Committee (AICC) appointed senior leader B.K. Hariprasad was appointed as the President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), replacing Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.
The appointment was announced by AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal.
In an official order, Venugopal stated: “Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has appointed B.K. Hariprasad is the President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, effective immediately. The party appreciates the contributions of outgoing Pradesh Congress President D.K. Shivakumar.”
Hariprasad, 72, is a veteran Congress leader known for his strong criticism of Hindutva organisations and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership. He has also been vocal in expressing differences with senior Congress leaders, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in the past. Following one such episode, Siddaramaiah visited Hariprasad at his residence and discussed the matter with him.
Hariprasad was considered one of the Congress leaders closest to the party high command during the tenure of late Ahmed Patel. However, following Patel’s demise, his influence at the national level reportedly diminished, leading him to focus more on state politics.
Over the years, Hariprasad has served as a Member of the Rajya Sabha and held several key positions within the AICC. He belongs to the Billava community and unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha election from Bengaluru South against the late BJP leader Ananth Kumar.
Born in Bengaluru, Hariprasad is a commerce graduate. He is currently serving as a Member of the Karnataka Legislative Council (MLC). Although his present term is set to end later this month, Congress has nominated him to contest the upcoming Council elections.
Hariprasad had earlier sparked a national controversy with remarks regarding the 2019 Pulwama attack, describing it as “match-fixing,” a statement that drew widespread criticism from political opponents.
After assuming the role of Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shivakumar subsequently resigned from the post of KPCC President and submitted his resignation letter to AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge.
It can be noted that, serving as the President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) for six consecutive years and tirelessly travelling across the state to strengthen the party organisation, D.K. Shivakumar played a key role in bringing the Congress to power in 2023.(Agency)
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