Bengaluru: The Congress party in Karnataka finds itself in yet another storm of its own making, after unceremoniously dismissing Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna from the state cabinet. The removal, confirmed through an official letter from the Governor’s Special Secretary R. Prabhushankar to Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, comes amid growing factionalism, dissent, and a leadership that appears increasingly intolerant of internal criticism.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had written to Raj Bhavan recommending Rajanna’s ouster, a move widely seen as dictated by the Congress high command in Delhi. The letter carried the Governor’s signed notification, instructing Rajanna’s removal “with immediate effect.”
Speaking briefly after the news broke, Rajanna said he would comment only after meeting Siddaramaiah. “I do not know for what issue the high command has come down on me. I am never one who is attached to power. I will take decisions according to the situation,” he remarked. But those close to the minister say the writing was on the wall and it was written by the Congress’s central leadership, not the people of Karnataka.
Ironically, just hours before, his son MLC Rajendra had dismissed rumors of resignation, saying his father had no such plans. Yet, the Congress machine moved swiftly, silencing one of its own voices.
The trigger for this political execution? Rajanna’s candid acknowledgment of irregularities in the voter list irregularities that, he pointed out, occurred under the Congress’s own watch. In Tumkur, Rajanna had questioned, “When was the voter list made? Was it not when our own government was in power? Did everyone turn a blind eye then?” His remarks, a rare instance of honesty in a political culture built on denial, left the Congress deeply embarrassed not because they were false, but because they were true.
Congress insiders admit the high command was furious. Siddaramaiah is reportedly lobbying AICC Secretary KC Venugopal and state in-charge Randeep Surjewala to avoid expulsion, but the mood in Delhi is unforgiving. If talks fail, Rajanna a close aide of the CM will be cast out completely.
The timing is crucial. The Congress is preparing to launch a national agitation against the Election Commission over alleged voter list manipulation, using Karnataka as the starting point. Just as the campaign was gaining momentum, Rajanna’s truth-telling punctured the narrative. His comments even handed the BJP ammunition; the saffron party wasted no time in circulating the video of Rajanna’s remarks, accusing the Congress of hypocrisy.
Congress leaders privately admit that Rajanna’s statements “undermined Rahul Gandhi,” who had recently staged a protest in Bengaluru accusing the BJP of vote rigging. The fact that a sitting Congress minister publicly contradicted this script was seen as unforgivable. The party’s obsession with controlling its image has now taken precedence over truth or accountability.
Even in the Assembly, opposition leaders seized the moment. Leader of Opposition R. Ashok questioned the government: “For what reason was K.N. Rajanna dismissed? What is the corruption against him? How much money has he made and where has he kept it? The government should answer.” Ashok suggested the incident was a symptom of a larger power struggle Siddaramaiah’s trusted allies are being picked off, one by one, while Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar grows stronger within the party.
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