Rift in Karnataka Congress? KN Rajanna likely to join BJP, says MLA

BENGALURU: Some Congress MLAs have accused former cooperation minister KN Rajanna, who was sacked from the cabinet for embarrassing the party high command in the vote theft case, of hobnobbing with BJP functionaries.Magadi legislator HC Balakrishna, an aide of KPCC president and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, alleged Tuesday that Rajanna already has “one foot out of the party”. “If Congress hadn’t been at the helm, he (Rajanna) would have quit by now,” Balakrishna said.

He said Rajanna was being received warmly by BJP functionaries in recent days. “If you do brain mapping on Rajanna, it will be very clear where he is going. He will soon leave the party,” Balakrishna alleged.Hitting back at Balakrishna, Rajendra Rajanna, Congress MLC and Rajanna’s son, said some people have a habit of speaking without thinking.“It wasn’t my father that sang the RSS anthem on the floor of the legislature, nor did he wear chaddis to shakha meetings,” Rajendra said. “He has already clarified in public that he will be a Congressman till he dies. Maybe, people who are speaking against Rajanna are the ones who are preparing to leave the party.”