Senior Congress leader BK Hariprasad on Tuesday dismissed speculation about a possible leadership change in Karnataka, calling it part of the BJP's "troll factory" campaign to create confusion in the state.
His remarks came amid a high-level meeting in New Delhi between Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar and the Congress leadership at Indira Bhavan.
Backing Siddaramaiah, Hariprasad said the Congress had chosen him to serve a full five-year term as chief minister and there was no reason to discuss a leadership change unless there were serious allegations against him.
"When Siddaramaiah ji was chosen, he was chosen for five years. If there are serious allegations of corruption or anything else, then we'll have to think. There's no need to respond to the BJP's troll army," he told ANI.
He accused the BJP of spreading rumours through social media and WhatsApp to destabilise the Congress government in Karnataka. Hariprasad also attacked the BJP leadership, saying the opposition should focus on its own issues instead of commenting on Congress affairs.
Meanwhile, Congress MLC Saleem Ahmed said the New Delhi meeting was held to discuss organisational and political matters, including upcoming Rajya Sabha and MLC elections.
Earlier in the day, Siddaramaiah met Congress general secretaries KC Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala before the broader leadership meeting. Shivakumar also attended the discussions at the party headquarters.
Although Congress leaders described the meeting as routine, speculation over a possible power-sharing arrangement in Karnataka has continued since the party's decisive 2023 Assembly election victory.
Several Congress legislators have openly backed Shivakumar for the chief minister's post, while recent reports suggested Siddaramaiah could be moved to the Rajya Sabha or accommodated through another political arrangement involving his son, Yathindra Siddaramaiah.
Sources, however, indicated that even if Siddaramaiah shifts to the Rajya Sabha, Shivakumar may not automatically become chief minister. Another possible compromise being discussed within the party is Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge emerging as a consensus choice, while KC Venugopal could be considered for a larger organisational role.
