‘Political loyalty’: Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar under BJP fire for 'prioritising' Rahul Gandhi over German chancellor

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar went to meet Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Mysuru instead of welcoming German chancellor Friedrich Merz to the state on Tuesday, drawing heavy fire from the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The BJP criticised Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, alleging that the Congress leaders prioritised "political loyalty" over Karnataka's global standing.

The Karnataka leaders were in Mysuru to receive Rahul Gandhi, who was transitioning to Ooty, Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, Merz was received by Karnataka minister for large and medium industries, MB Patil, and other senior government officials, upon arrival at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport on Tuesday.

Reacting to this, Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly R Ashoka accused the Congress government of “misplaced priorities and missed opportunities”, saying that welcoming the head of state from one of the world's strongest economies "was relegated to the back seat".

In a post on X, Ashoka noted that German chancellor Merz's visit to Karnataka was a "moment of immense diplomatic, economic and strategic significance" for the state.

Stating that any other "responsible" chief minister would have personally ensured that the visit was taken seriously and understood that it was an "opportunity for investment, industry, employment and long-term growth for Karnataka".

"While the German Chancellor landed in Bengaluru, Chief Minister @siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister @DKShivakumar chose to be in Mysuru to receive @RahulGandhi, who was merely transitioning to Ooty. Let that sink in," Ashoka added.

Referring to Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar's move, he said that "political loyalty and high command pleasing" took priority over Karnataka's global standing.

"This is not just bad optics - it reflects a deep disregard for the state's interests," Ashoka stated.

He emphasised that Karnataka deserves leadership that prioritises the state before the party, the state's progress before power politics, and global opportunities before political appeasement. "Karnataka deserves better," Ashoka wrote.

The BJP's Karnataka unit also posted on its official X handle, condemning Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar's actions. It said, the CM and deputy CM rushed to Mysuru simply because, "in the CM's own words - our proud leader Shri @RahulGandhi stopped in Mysuru while on his way to Tamil Nadu".

The post further stated that the chief minister's chair is "being used to merely please the 'High Command' rather than to serve the people".

BJP's Karnataka president BY Vijayendra accused Siddaramaiah of opting to meet Rahul Gandhi instead of choosing to welcome the German chancellor in a bid "to safeguard his own chair". His jibe refers to the recent ongoing power tussle in the state.

For days, speculations have been rife over Shivakumar taking over the CM chair from Siddaramaiah following the completion of half of his tenure in the state.

"This is not merely a protocol lapse, it reflects misplaced priorities!" Vijayendra said in a post on X. He further said that Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar's move is "living proof that 'development' has not merely taken a back seat under this (Congress) government, it cannot even be seen in the rear-view mirror".

Vijayendra stated that Karnataka is steadily losing out on major investment opportunities and global partnerships to neighbour states because of the leaders' "obsession with political survival over governance".

"When personal interests overrides State interests, Karnataka pays the price. Our State deserves leadership that puts the State first!" Vijayendra added.

During his Bengaluru vist, German Chancellor Merz visited the Bosch campus at Adugodi. He also visited the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE) at the Indian Institute of Science before departing from the city, news agency PTI reported.