By: Rajini KG
April 12 2023
No, DK Shivakumar has not been removed as the President of the Karnataka Congress.
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Fact-Check
The Verdict False
A Congress spokesperson confirmed to Logically Facts that DK Shivakumar continues to be the President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee.
Claim ID c9ebee60
Context
Ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections scheduled for May 10, a claim that Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President DK Shivakumar has been removed from his post is going viral on social media. Indian news website Oneindia Hindi shared a video on Facebook, with a caption in Hindi: "Congress has removed its state president DK Shivakumar. In his place, BN Chandrappa has been made the president of the Karnataka Congress." The video also claimed that this decision came after reports of a tussle between Shivakumar and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, leader of the opposition in the Karnataka legislative assembly.
However, this claim is false. Chandrappa has been appointed working president of KPCC. There are no reports of Shivakumar's removal.
In Fact
Logically Facts examined the website of the KPCC and their social media accounts and found no official announcements that Shivakumar has been removed or replaced. Shivakumar's Twitter bio still designates him as president.
Logically Facts contacted Aishwarya Mahadeva, the General Secretary of Media and Communications of the Congress in Karnataka. She responded, "the news is patently false. Shivakumar firmly and strongly remains the Congress president in Karnataka, leading us in these elections. The news that Oneindia has put out - which should be a responsible media outlet - is completely false," she told Logically Facts over the phone. "The appointment of Chandrappa as working president was made recently to fill the vacancy that opened up after our former working president passed away. The Congress Committee in Karnataka has one president here, Shivakumar, and several working presidents, as has been in the system previously. The Congress party will take action against this news," she added.
The confusion of Shivakumar's removal made rounds after Congress announced Chandrappa's election as the party's new working president on April 9. Chandrappa is a former member of parliament from Chitradurga and has also served as Congress party's vice-president.
The Verdict
Shivakumar is the president of the Karnataka Congress, and BN Chandrappa is one of the working presidents. Therefore, we mark this claim as false.
