Bengaluru, June 4 -- Within hours of the swearing-in of the new Karnataka government led by Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, the Congress high command unveiled another key appointment by naming BK Hariprasad as the new president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).

The appointment, announced late Wednesday, June 3, night by Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge through party general secretary KC Venugopal, is being viewed as part of a broader strategy to balance power within the party following the leadership transition in Karnataka.

Hariprasad, a senior Legislative Council member and a veteran Congress strategist, had emerged as a strong contender for a cabinet berth in the new government. However, his name did not...