Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President B.K. Hariprasad has clarified that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's visit to New Delhi is mainly directed towards discussions with Members of Parliament about the pending Central funds for Karnataka and not a delegation of the entire state government as some political circles have suggested.
Hariprasad dismissed any speculation that the Karnataka government had shifted its focus to Delhi. He said only the Chief Minister was in the capital, and the rest of the ministers were still doing their job in Karnataka.
"The entire Karnataka government is not in Delhi. Only the Chief Minister has come here. The other ministers are in the state," Hariprasad said.
Siddaramaiah’s visit, he said, is to have an interaction with Karnataka parliamentarians and discuss the issue of getting some funds from the central government. He said that the Chief Minister would also request assistance on the state's developmental priorities and financial allocations.
Hariprasad said meetings with some Union Ministers were yet to be confirmed, adding that the schedule could be finalized later in the day.
"The Chief Minister has come to discuss pending Central grants and to meet Members of Parliament. Some Union Ministers are yet to give appointments, and the schedule may be confirmed by this evening," he said.
The KPCC chief also spoke on the long-awaited cabinet expansion in Karnataka. He said the matter had already been discussed within the party and only the approval of the Congress high command would be required for any official announcement to be made.
Hariprasad said the process is at an advanced stage and more clarity is expected once the party leadership gives its formal consent.
The Congress leader also hit out at the BJP as well as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) during his interview with the media.
Referring to BJP National General Secretary B.L. Santhosh, Hariprasad said that Santhosh had come from the RSS to run the BJP's organisational affairs. He also claimed that the BJP is being controlled from Nagpur, where the RSS headquarters are situated.
He also said that the Congress did not require advice from organisations that, according to him, were not registered under the law.
In another political swipe, Hariprasad said the BJP should focus on resolving its own internal problems instead of commenting on the affairs of the Congress party.
His remarks come at a time when political activity has escalated in New Delhi, with many state leaders meeting the Congress high command to discuss organisational matters, governance priorities, and future political strategies.
Cabinet expansion has been a subject of conjecture for several weeks, and the Congress leadership is talking about reforms that balance regional and organisational representation in the Karnataka government. But no official announcement has been made so far.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka government is also working towards releasing funds from the Centre to develop projects and welfare schemes, and the government is still waiting for funds. The outcome of the Chief Minister's meetings in New Delhi will be of great interest for the state's financial planning and the Congress party's political strategy in the next few months.
Political observers will be closely watching whether the high command will be able to pass the Cabinet expansion and how discussions with the Centre proceed in the days ahead.
