In a political twist that has stirred both embarrassment and internal dissent within the Karnataka Congress, Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna has officially resigned following controversial comments about voter list irregularities during the Congress government’s tenure.

Media reports confirmed that Rajanna submitted his resignation after a private meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at Vidhana Soudha. His son, Rajendra, a Member of the Legislative Council, reportedly delivered the letter. The Chief Minister’s Office is expected to forward it to the Governor, and an official statement in the Assembly is likely to follow.

The resignation comes in the wake of Rajanna’s candid remarks that electoral discrepancies — which Rahul Gandhi recently labelled as “vote theft” — actually occurred when the Congress was in power. His statements undermined the party’s current allegations that the Election Commission, under BJP influence, manipulated the voter rolls.

Rajanna Admits: “Irregularities Did Take Place, We Should Feel Ashamed

“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,” Rajanna had said.

Referring to the Mahadevapura constituency, where Gandhi had focused his accusations, Rajanna conceded electoral fraud had indeed occurred there. “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? If we speak casually, we’ll have to say many things,” he said.

The now-former minister stressed the need for internal responsibility. “When the draft electoral rolls are made, we must file objections — that is our responsibility. At that time, we kept quiet and now we are talking,” he stated, making it clear he believed party leaders failed to act when it mattered most.

Congress Acts Swiftly, Labels Rajanna a ‘Repeat Offender’

The fallout from his comments was swift. The Congress high command, reportedly enraged by his remarks, instructed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to initiate disciplinary action. A party leader described Rajanna as a repeat offender, noting, “Chief Minister has done the right thing. Rajendranath had no business to talk about all these things. And he was asked to resign and he has resigned.”

Rajanna’s departure adds to the challenges faced by the Congress in Karnataka, where internal power struggles and factionalism have become more visible. His resignation also follows that of another Scheduled Caste minister, B. Nagendra, who stepped down amidst allegations of a scam in the Valmiki Development Corporation.

Notably, Rajanna has previously made waves within the party by demanding changes to the state Congress leadership. He has openly pushed for replacing Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar as KPCC president and even proposed the creation of additional Deputy CM roles, which many saw as an attempt to dilute Shivakumar’s influence. At one point, Rajanna cryptically suggested that “a major political development will take place in September,” hinting at possible changes in state leadership.

The BJP, unsurprisingly, jumped on the opportunity to slam the Congress. Senior party leader CT Ravi took aim at what he described as the suppression of dissent within the ruling party. “There is no democracy within the Congress. If you tell the truth you are asked to resign,” he said.

Tensions also flared in the Assembly, where BJP members demanded clarification from both Rajanna and Law Minister HK Patil. The controversy deepened when Deputy CM Shivakumar lashed out at the Election Commission for issuing a notice to Rahul Gandhi, demanding evidence of the vote fraud allegations.

As the political drama unfolds, Rajanna’s exit has exposed rifts within the Congress’s state unit and raised uncomfortable questions about the party’s handling of the voter list issue — both past and present.