Bengaluru, Aug 11 (PTI) In a sudden move, Karnataka Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna was sacked on Monday from the Cabinet after the Congress high command instructed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to remove him for his “vote theft” remarks that embarrassed the party and its leader Rahul Gandhi.
Reacting to his removal, Rajanna said the Congress high command, party president, and general secretary K C Venugopal have some “misconception” about him, and that he would be flying to Delhi with senior MLAs and ministers to clear the air.
Initially, Siddaramaiah asked Rajanna to resign. However, since he did not resign, he was removed from the Cabinet, sources in the chief minister’s office told PTI.
A letter to remove Rajanna was sent by the chief minister to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, and the recommendation was accepted by the Raj Bhavan.
“I am directed to forward herewith the original notification signed by the Hon’ble Governor for the removal of Sri K N Rajanna, Hon’ble Minister for Cooperation, from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect, for further necessary action,” Special Secretary to Governor R Prabhushankar wrote to the Karnataka Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh. Rajanna, a Siddaramaiah loyalist, drew the ire of the Congress high command when he reportedly blamed his party-led government in Karnataka for the “vote theft” in the Mahadevapura Assembly segment during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a statement which contradicted the party line.
Rajanna reportedly said the “vote theft” happened “right in front of our eyes”, Rahul Gandhi had recently held a press conference in New Delhi and later a public meeting in Bengaluru, where he claimed that the BJP government at the Centre came to power due to “vote theft”.
He also cited the presence of over a lakh bogus voters in the Mahadevapura assembly segment under the Bengaluru Central Parliamentary constituency.
Rajanna’s remarks triggered immediate backlash from within the party, with the party high command taking it seriously and finally instructing the chief minister to remove him from the cabinet, sources said.
Reacting to the development, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who is also Congress state president, said he was not aware why Rajanna was removed.
“I don’t know why he was removed. The party has decided. We are friends and have been in public life together for the past 25 years. It pains me as well, but what can be done? After all, this is the party’s decision,” Shivakumar told reporters.
This is not Rajanna’s first run-in with the leadership.
In recent months, Rajanna had publicly criticised the way appointments to boards and corporations were made, spoken about “too many power centres” in the Congress, and hinted at big political changes after September.
He has also been making headlines for the past two months after hinting at a ‘September Revolution’, fuelling speculation of a major upheaval in the government.
Rajanna’s removal also came up during the Karnataka Assembly session on Monday, with the BJP legislators demanding that Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil and Rajanna clear the air.
Raising the issue in the assembly, Leader of Opposition, BJP R Ashoka sought to know the specific allegations against Rajanna.
“Are there any corruption charges against Rajanna? How much money has he made, and where has he kept it? He just spoke the truth that there was (Congress government during the 2024 Lok Sabha election) when the voting took place,” he said.
Speculating on the political implications of the removal, the LoP said, “he (Rajanna) was the only Siddaramaiah loyalist. Is Siddaramaiah the next target after his removal?” During the discussion, BJP MLA S Suresh Kumar asserted that it was the government’s duty to issue a statement, since the news broke during the legislative session.
In response, Minister Patil dismissed the demand and said the government cannot be expected to provide answers just because the media is reporting on the matter.
“If there are any such developments, the Chief Minister will definitely inform you. Session is in progress and this discussion is unnecessary,” he added. PTI GMS ROH PYK PYK
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