BENGALURU, Dec. 4 -- In Karnataka, a noisy confrontation between rival groups of Congress workers on Wednesday turned an otherwise routine political visit into a dramatic public display of the party's internal strain. What began as two separate arrivals at Mangaluru Airport quickly escalated into a symbolic clash over the future of the state's top office.

Supporters of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar were the first to take over the arrival gate. As AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal stepped out of the terminal, the crowd surged toward his car, shouting "DK! DK!" and demanding that Shivakumar be named the next Chief Minister. The slogans grew louder and more insistent, as if intended to force a response from the senior Congress leade...