The All India Congress Committee (AICC) on Wednesday appointed veteran Congress leader BK Hariprasad as the new head of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), replacing DK Shivakumar, who stepped down from the organisational post after taking oath as the state’s chief minister.
“Congress president has appointed BK Hariprasad as the chief of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, with immediate effect,” the statement issued by AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said.
Hariprasad’s appointment comes shortly after the Congress nominated four candidates, including him, for the June 18 biennial elections to fill seven vacancies in the Karnataka Legislative Council.
Before the formal announcement, Hariprasad’s name had emerged as the frontrunner during consultations within the party. Leaders aware of the matter had indicated that senior Congress leaders had discussed his candidature as the party weighed options for the post.
Hariprasad publicly backed the new government while attending Shivakumar’s swearing in ceremony on Wednesday. “The entire Congress team will work along with him for the development of the state,” Hariprasad said.
Newly sworn-in minister Satish Jarkiholi’s name had also figured in the discussions over the KPCC post. A senior Congress leader familiar with the deliberations had said, “Satish Jarkiholi’s name was very much in the discussion. But there is a feeling that the party organisation requires someone who can devote his attention almost entirely to party activities and coordination across the state.”
Hariprasad, 72, currently serves in the Karnataka Legislative Council, with his term due to end later this month. Over a political career spanning several decades, he has represented the Congress in the Rajya Sabha and handled a range of responsibilities within the AICC.
He was also the United Opposition’s candidate for deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha but lost the election to NDA nominee Harivansh Narayan Singh.
In 1999, Hariprasad contested the Lok Sabha election from Bengaluru South but was defeated by BJP leader and former Union minister Ananth Kumar.
