Tumakuru: The Congress government in Karnataka is grappling with escalating unrest and an emerging coalition of Dalit and AHINDA legislators rallying in solidarity after the abrupt dismissal of KN Rajanna from the state cabinet. What began as a localised flashpoint in Tumakuru has swiftly transformed into a political storm with caste undercurrents, threatening to unsettle Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s administration.
On Wednesday, Tumakuru turned into a hub of political agitation as thousands of Rajanna’s supporters, predominantly from the Valmiki community, marched through the city’s streets. Bearing large flex banners with Rajanna’s image and placards declaring “We Stand With KNR”, they moved from the Town Hall to the Deputy Commissioner’s office, chanting slogans against the government. Delegates submitted memorandums demanding Rajanna’s reinstatement, warning that the community’s trust in the Congress was at stake.
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The protests spilled beyond Tumakuru city limits, drawing crowds from Kunigal, Madhugiri, Koratagere, Gubbi, and surrounding rural belts. Rajanna’s grassroots network proved formidable, mobilising thousands within hours. Police deployed in large numbers to prevent escalation, especially after a dramatic incident in Madhugiri on Tuesday when a distraught supporter allegedly attempted suicide in protest.
Adding weight to the dissent, PWD minister and senior AHINDA( Minorities, OBC and Dalita) figure Satish Jarkiholi visited Rajanna in Bengaluru, accompanied by other Congress legislators. Emerging from the meeting, Jarkiholi told reporters: “When power goes, people move away. We are here to send the message that we stand with Rajanna.” He hinted at “a misunderstanding in Delhi” and promised to engage the party high command to seek clarification.
Rajanna, breaking his silence, hinted at a “political conspiracy” behind his removal. In a pointed remark, he said, “A tiger always roars,” and stressed that two members from the Valmiki community had been removed from the cabinet. “Our community must retain its rightful place,” he declared, suggesting that his removal was more than a routine reshuffle.
BJP leaders, including Ashwath Narayan and state party president BY Vijayendra, voiced support for Rajanna, urging him to “name those behind the conspiracy” and demanding that CM Siddaramaiah explain the reasons for the ouster. The Janata Dal (Secular) has also hinted that the incident exposes “internal fractures” in the Congress.
The controversy has taken on a sharper caste dimension with interventions from religious leaders. Prasannananda Swamiji of the Rajanahalli Guru Peetha in Yadgir condemned Rajanna’s dismissal as a deliberate act of political sidelining. “It is a conspiracy against a Valmiki leader,” he said, warning that the decision could alienate large sections of Dalit voters.
Inside the Congress, the mood is unsettled. While a section of leaders argue that cabinet appointments and removals are the prerogative of the high command, others privately concede that the handling of Rajanna’s removal has been politically clumsy. Several Dalit MLAs, both from the Valmiki and Madiga sub-sections, have begun informal consultations, weighing the possibility of presenting a united front to demand fair representation.
Community leaders are preparing to escalate their lobbying to Delhi, with plans to meet AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, himself a Dalit leader. Some are pressing for either Rajanna’s reinstatement or the immediate elevation of another Valmiki leader to the cabinet.
So far, the Chief Minister’s Office has refrained from public comment, avoiding direct engagement with the protest narrative. But political observers warn that prolonged silence could be risky. “If this unites various Dalit factions within the party, it won’t just be about Rajanna it will become a question of the Congress’s commitment to AHINDA politics,” said a Bengaluru-based political analyst.
