Cooperation Minister Rajanna Quits Over Remarks on Alleged Vote Irregularities Amidst Rahul Gandhi’s Accusations

K.N. Rajanna, the Cooperation Minister in Karnataka, has resigned from his post amidst a political fallout. His resignation comes after he questioned the handling of alleged electoral irregularities, which occurred during the Congress government’s term in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. This statement directly clashed with the party’s narrative on vote theft, which has been promoted by Rahul Gandhi. According to reports, the Congress high command had signaled Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to take action against Rajanna. Rajanna’s remarks sparked a political row and led to his decision to step down, with his son delivering the resignation to the Chief Minister. Rahul Gandhi has been vocal about accusations of vote manipulation, specifically pointing to instances of “collusion” between the Election Commission of India and the BJP, alleging creation of fake votes in the Mahadevapura Assembly segment to favor the BJP. Rajanna’s statements, made during a press conference in Tumkuru, admitted that irregularities occurred during the voter list preparation, during his party’s time in power, and that these issues were overlooked. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has refuted Rajanna’s claims, stating the party’s leadership will respond.