Bengaluru erupted in political drama on January 12 when Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar opted to greet Congress MP Rahul Gandhi at Mysuru airport instead of welcoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Bengaluru. BJP leaders slammed the move as a glaring example of misplaced priorities, accusing the Congress of favoring party loyalty over vital international ties.

Chancellor Merz landed at Kempegowda International Airport for a packed one-day visit focused on tech and innovation hubs. Karnataka Industries Minister MB Patil handled the reception alongside officials, but the top brass was absent—busy 150 km away in Mysuru for Rahul Gandhi's brief stopover en route to Ooty. Opposition Leader R Ashoka took to X, questioning why a "responsible CM" would skip such a high-stakes opportunity with Germany's powerhouse economy.

Ashoka called it a "criminal neglect" that could cost Karnataka jobs and investments, branding Congress as obsessed with "high command sycophancy." He drew parallels to past Congress outrage when Rahul skipped a presidential event for Putin, highlighting what BJP sees as hypocrisy. This isn't isolated—BJP has long criticized Rahul's influence, from his recent Germany remarks to foreign jaunts, painting Congress as dynast-driven.

Merz wasted no time, visiting Bosch's Adugodi campus and IISc's Nano Science Centre to scout Indo-German synergies in manufacturing and R&D. Karnataka, with Bengaluru's startup ecosystem, stands to gain big from such partnerships amid €21 billion bilateral trade last year. Yet the no-show by state heavyweights risks signaling disinterest to global players eyeing India.

Caught amid Siddaramaiah-Shivakumar's CM chair rivalry, this fuels BJP's pre-election attacks on Congress governance. Past German firms like Bosch and Mercedes have poured billions into Karnataka without fanfare, proving diplomacy often thrives quietly—but in polarized times, optics matter. Watch for escalating rhetoric as polls loom.