Karnataka Politics Heats Up: BK Hariprasad Holds Closed-Door Talks With Rahul Gandhi in Delhi Amid Leadership Speculation
New Delhi/Bengaluru: Senior Congress leader and MLC BK Hariprasad met Rahul Gandhi at the latter’s Delhi residence around 12 pm on Friday, triggering intense speculation within Karnataka’s political circles. The meeting, which reportedly lasted long enough to cover multiple political developments, has taken on significance amid the ongoing churn inside the state Congress.
This comes at a time when several Karnataka leaders—including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, and their respective camps—had been trying unsuccessfully for days to secure an appointment with Rahul Gandhi. The Congress MP had been unavailable due to the Bihar election results and subsequent foreign travel.
That the first detailed political briefing on Karnataka’s current situation reached Rahul Gandhi not through the CM or DCM, but through Hariprasad, has raised eyebrows in Vidhana Soudha and KPCC circles.
A Calculated Move by the High Command?
Hariprasad is widely seen as a senior leader with strong rapport at the national level. Party insiders say his meeting with Rahul Gandhi may offer the high command a more neutral, third-person assessment of:
- the Siddaramaiah–DK Shivakumar power equations,
- leadership change demands,
- KPCC organisational challenges,
- cabinet expansion pressure,
- and the internal factional tensions gripping the Karnataka Congress.
For months, murmurs of policy disagreements, portfolio disputes, and leadership pressure have been circulating in the state unit. Friday’s meeting now indicates that the high command wants direct ground intelligence from a senior leader unaligned with either of the two dominant factions.
Failed Attempts by Karnataka Leaders to Meet Rahul Gandhi
Sources confirmed that several Karnataka ministers and senior MLAs tried to meet Rahul Gandhi repeatedly over the last three days. However, they were only able to meet AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, who reportedly told them:
“The final decision lies with Rahul Gandhi.”
This backdrop makes Hariprasad’s sudden one-on-one meeting with Rahul even more significant.
Hariprasad Avoids Media Queries, Maintains Strict Silence
When reporters intercepted him in Delhi after the meeting, Hariprasad remained extremely guarded. To every question—from Karnataka crisis to leadership change to cabinet reshuffle—he replied only:
“Everything is fine… everything is normal.”
He avoided responding directly to questions like:
- “Did you discuss leadership change?”
- “Why did you skip the Mangaluru event to meet Rahul Gandhi?”
- “Did Rahul Gandhi seek a report on Siddaramaiah–DK Shivakumar differences?”
His silence has only intensified political curiosity back in Bengaluru.
Kharge Returns to Delhi; Venugopal Arrives in Bengaluru
Adding to Friday’s political temperature:
- Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge is scheduled to reach Delhi by evening.
- General Secretary KC Venugopal has arrived in Bengaluru.
Together, the two leaders are expected to piece together detailed field reports before Rahul Gandhi takes a final call on Karnataka-related decisions.
High Stakes for Karnataka Congress
The ongoing crisis involves sensitive topics including:
- leadership stability,
- internal alignment between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar camps,
- demands for cabinet expansion,
- KPCC structural reshuffle,
- and the overall governance narrative.
Friday’s sudden meeting between Hariprasad and Rahul Gandhi has now become the first major signal that the high command has begun a deeper review of Karnataka’s political situation.
As one senior official put it:
“The seriousness is evident. Once Kharge and Rahul Gandhi sit together, decisions may come faster than expected.”
ಇದನ್ನೂ ಓದಿ: ರಾಹುಲ್ ಗಾಂಧಿ–ಬಿಕೆ ಹರಿಪ್ರಸಾದ್ ದೆಹಲಿ ಗುಪ್ತಚರ್ಚೆ: ರಾಜ್ಯ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಬಿಕ್ಕಟ್ಟು ಕುರಿತಾಗಿ ಹೈಕಮಾಂಡ್ ಆಳವಾದ ಪರಿಶೀಲನೆ ಆರಂಭ
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