Karnataka Minister KN Rajanna Resigns From Cabinet Post

Image: ANI

Karnataka Minister KN Rajanna submitted his resignation from the post of Cabinet Minister, and the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) confirmed on Monday

The resignation comes after Friday's rally in Bengaluru by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi where he doubled down on his "vote theft" charge that "collusion" had happened between the Election Commission of India and the BJP to allow creation of over one lakh "fake votes" in the Mahadevapura Assembly Segment in the Banglaore Central Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka in the 2024 elections to ensure a win for the BJP.

On Saturday, reacting to the question why Congress leaders "turned a blind eye" to irregularities in voter lists, he said, "Look, if we just start talking about such things casually, there will be different opinions. 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? 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 further added, ANI reported.

He also claimed that in Mahadevapura, one person was registered in three different places and voted in all of them. Rajanna alleged that when the draft electoral rolls were prepared, it was their responsibility to verify, but they remained silent at the time and are only speaking up now.

Reacting to Rajanna claim, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said, "Mr KN Rajanna is totally at fault. He doesn't know. My Chief Minister and my party high command will reply to that," Shivakumar told reporters in Bengaluru today.

Shivakumar further said that the poll body should reply to the objections raised by Gandhi, "Whatever documents the Election Commission is asking, we are not schoolboys to reply whatever they ask. They are supposed to give us. He has given a representation and they know whatever is wrong. We have asked for some information and records. We have asked officially. I myself went to Election Commission. At no point of time my leader will take oath or answer to it. He has answered already in public."

Meanhwhile, Rajanna's son Rajendra Rajanna said, "I don't know what happened" after the resignation.