KN Rajanna had been under the scanner of the party brass for long, sources said.
- Karnataka minister KN Rajanna resigned after remarks on Congress voter list irregularities
- Rajanna said electoral roll issues occurred when Congress was in power
- He met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah before submitting his resignation
Karnataka Minister KN Rajanna was ousted by the Congress - Rahul Gandhi wanted him out and there could be further action against him, sources have said. The minister - whose comments about the alleged voter list tinkering by the Election Commission had hugely upset the party - was dropped after senior Congress leader KC Venugopal had a word with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, sources said.
The allegation that the Election Commission is hand in glove with the BJP in introducing huge numbers of fake voters, is being spearheaded by Mr Gandhi. After his press conference on the matter and briefing to the INDIA bloc on Thursday - the matter has morphed into a massive political row.
Amid this, Mr Rajanna's comment about the alleged voter list tinkering in Karnataka's Mahdevpura in 2024 -- the test case for the Congress - has punched holes in Mr Gandhi's allegations and played into the hands of the BJP.
It was the Congress which was in power when the said tinkering took place, Mr Rajanna had said. Then he had pointed finger at his party in no uncertain terms -- saying the matter should have been flagged while it was happening and not now.
"When was the voter list prepared? It was prepared when our own government was in power. At that time, was everyone just sitting quietly with eyes closed? If we speak casually, we'll have to say many things," Mr Rajanna had said.
"These irregularities did take place -- that's the truth. There is nothing false in this. These irregularities happened right in front of our eyes -- we should feel ashamed. We didn't take care of it at the time. That's why we must be alert in the future," he said.
"When the draft electoral rolls are made, we must file objections -- that is our responsibility. At that time, we kept quiet and now we are talking," he said.
Uncertain Future For Rajanna
Sources said the Congress high command is now closely tracking the matter and for Mr Rajanna, it is a touch and go situation.
If Mr Rajanna makes any more controversial statements, there could be more action against him. It is already being considered whether he should be suspended from the party.
Sources also said Mr Rajanna is extremely unhappy with the decision of the party brass. MLAs and ministers close to him are already considering the next course of action. He is likely to meet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah again for further discussions.
Rajanna's History Of Controversy
Sources, though, pointed out that Mr Rajanna had been under the scanner of the party brass for long for his multiple misdemeanors.
A close aide of Chef Minister Siddaramaiah, Mr Rajanna has repeatedly been ignoring the orders of the central leaders and talking about leadership changes on several occasions.
He has openly sought a change of the state Congress chief -- the post currently being held by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. He had directly challenged Mr Shivakumar and even said in Delhi that he was ready to take over the post of state party chief.
He had also "predicted" a "political revolution" around September in Karnataka. He had questioned intentions of Randeep Surjewala -- a leader outranking him by miles -- in meeting government officials and had objected to it.
His statement about the "vote theft" -- a mega allegation presented to the media by Rahul Gandhi on August 7 -- was just the final nail in the coffin.
What The BJP Said
The BJP, which had raised a ruckus in the assembly over his comments -- demanding that the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil and Mr Rajanna clear the air - meanwhile jeered that the Congress insisted on gag orders on its members and there is no democracy in the party.
"There is no democracy within the Congress. If you tell the truth you are asked to resign," said senior BJP leader CT Ravi.
"Minister Rajanna has been dropped simply for telling the truth. This is a precursor to the 'October revolution' that is impending within the Congress party in Karnataka," said Karnataka Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka, referring to Rajanna's earlier statement that a "revolution" was coming within the Congress in the state.
He added that Mr Rajanna belongs to the Scheduled Tribe Valmiki community, and that the Congress has betrayed the entire community.
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