Karnataka Minister to face cabinet removal after voter fraud in Congress era remark?

The Congress high command has decided to remove Minister KN Rajanna from the Karnataka cabinet following his controversial comments on voter list irregularities during the Congress government’s tenure.

Rajanna’s remarks, which appeared to blame his own party for lapses, have angered senior leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, who were already engaged in challenging the 2024 Lok Sabha election results.

Rajanna, a close aide of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, publicly admitted that the voter list revisions happened "right in front of our eyes" during the Congress rule but were not properly monitored.

He cited instances where a single person’s name appeared in three different locations, enabling multiple votes, and pointed out suspicious entries in areas with very few residents. “It is a shame for us that we did not monitor it,” he said, criticizing the party for staying silent during the draft stage of voter list preparation.

Further intensifying the controversy, Rajanna accused the Election Commission of wrongdoing, claiming it “did what they should not have done” by altering the voter list and effectively helping the Prime Minister. However, he acknowledged Congress’s failure to raise timely objections and said the party has now been instructed to remain vigilant.

The remarks have triggered a backlash within the Congress ranks. Party workers lodged complaints with Congress in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, demanding Rajanna’s suspension and expulsion for allegedly embarrassing the party and handing the opposition an advantage. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s camp is reportedly upset with Rajanna’s statements, highlighting internal discord.

The BJP seized the opportunity to criticise the Congress, with state president BY Vijayendra calling Rajanna’s remarks “the truth” and accusing Congress of blaming the Election Commission out of desperation after electoral setbacks. Vijayendra also criticised Rahul Gandhi for creating “confusion” instead of formally submitting complaints.

This controversy unfolds amid Rahul Gandhi’s sharp accusations against the Election Commission, alleging it concealed evidence of BJP’s electoral manipulations by withholding electronic voter lists and polling booth videos.

In response to Rajanna’s comments, the Congress high command reportedly instructed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to drop the minister from the cabinet, signaling a serious internal crackdown.

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