Open remarks cost Rajanna his Cabinet seat

Bengaluru, Aug 11 (PTI) A series of public statements that embarrassed the ruling Congress in Karnataka appear to have cost Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna his place in the state cabinet, sources in the Congress said.

Rajanna was dropped on Monday, after his latest comments blaming the Congress government in Karnataka for letting the large-scale "vote theft" happen in the recent Lok Sabha polls.

Rajanna had allegedly said that the bogus voting during 2024 Lok Sabha election happened right under the nose of the Congress government in Karnataka, a statement which contradicted the party line.

The remark triggered immediate backlash from within the party, with the party high command taking it seriously and finally removing him from the cabinet.

This was not his first run-in with the leadership.

In recent months, Rajanna had publicly criticised the way appointments to boards and corporations were made, spoken about ‘too many power centres’ in the Congress, and hinted at big political changes after September.

Each time, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar had tried to downplay his remarks.

The decision to remove him from the Cabinet, however, made clear that the leadership had run out of patience.

According to party insiders, Rajanna’s repeated public deviations from the official stand had undermined collective messaging and created unnecessary controversies.

Addressing reporters, the Minister said he was not a politician to cling to power and would make his decision based on the situation.

Reacting to the development, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who is also Congress state president, said he was not aware why Rajanna was removed.

"I don't know why he was removed. The party has decided. We are friends and have been in public life together for the past 25 years. It pains me as well, but what can be done. After all, this is the party's decision," Shivakumar told media. PTI GMS GMS ROH