Political Fallout: KN Rajanna Removed from Karnataka Cabinet After Clash on Voter Fraud

Following a disagreement over the handling of voter list issues and a public divergence from the party’s viewpoint, Karnataka’s Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna was removed from his position. The situation escalated after Rajanna questioned the silence within his own party regarding the voter list irregularities. His resignation was accepted by Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot, after initially being submitted to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The central point of contention was Rajanna’s remarks regarding the Mahadevapura constituency voter list, which contradicted Rahul Gandhi’s statements accusing the central government of vote theft. Rajanna pointed out that the voter list revisions occurred during the Congress government’s term, questioning the party’s inaction at the time. This led to criticism from Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, and it is believed that the Congress high command subsequently instructed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to remove Rajanna from the cabinet. Rahul Gandhi had previously highlighted irregularities in the Mahadevapura constituency, claiming that over 100,000 fraudulent voters were listed. KN Rajanna, a well-known figure in Karnataka politics and close to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, served as the Minister of Cooperation. He was born on April 13, 1951, in Tumkur Taluk, Karnataka, and holds BSc and LLB degrees. He has been involved in cooperative movements since 1972. Rajanna’s political career includes serving in the Karnataka Legislative Council, being an MLA from Madhugiri (winning in 2013 and 2023), and holding positions in various financial and agricultural institutions.