Karnataka Minister KN Rajanna Resigns After Voter List Remarks Spark Political Storm

Bengaluru, Karnataka: Karnataka Minister KN Rajanna has stepped down following controversial remarks about alleged voter list irregularities under Congress rule. His comments clashed with Rahul Gandhi’s narrative against the Election Commission and have triggered a fresh round of political sparring between Congress and the BJP.

Key Developments

Resignation After Meeting CM: Rajanna met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at Vidhana Soudha before submitting his resignation.

Remarks That Sparked Row: He acknowledged electoral roll “irregularities” occurred while Congress was in power in Karnataka.

Congress High Command Unhappy: Rahul Gandhi and senior party leaders saw his statement as undermining party allegations against BJP.

BJP Reaction: Opposition leaders accused Congress of silencing truth-tellers and claimed an “October revolution” is brewing within the party.

What Rajanna Said

“When was the voter list prepared? It was when our own government was in power. These irregularities happened right in front of our eyes we should feel ashamed. We didn’t act then, so we must be alert in the future,” Rajanna told reporters.

Political Context

Rajanna’s remarks came just days after Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Election Commission colluded with BJP to add fake voters in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura constituency. His statements not only contradicted the party’s official stance but also provided fodder for BJP attacks in the Assembly.

What’s Next

• Congress is considering suspending Rajanna if further controversial remarks are made.
• MLAs close to him are reportedly exploring their next political move.
• The episode has intensified intra-party tensions between factions loyal to Siddaramaiah and those aligned with DK Shivakumar.

BJP’s Counterattack

BJP leaders, including CT Ravi and R. Ashoka, accused Congress of lacking internal democracy and betraying the Scheduled Tribe Valmiki community, to which Rajanna belongs.