K N Rajanna resigns as Karnataka Minister after questioning Congress silence amid Rahul’s ‘vote chori’ allegation

K N Rajanna has resigned as the Karnataka’s Cooperation Minister, hours after questioning the Congress party’s silence over Rahul Gandhi’s “vote chori” allegations against the Election Commission of India.

“Karnataka Minister KN Rajanna resigns from the post of cabinet minister,” the Chief Minister’s Office confirmed.

He was reportedly asked to resign by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah after he raised questions about the voter list used in the Lok Sabha polls, saying that it was prepared when the Congress was in power.

“If irregularities occurred, then why was no one speaking up at the time? Why did we remain silent?” Rajanna asked reporters, openly challenging his party colleagues.

‘Rajanna asked to resign’

Earlier, news agency PTI, citing sources in the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s office, said, “Rajanna has been asked to resign.”

This comes after Rajanna held a meeting with the Chief Minister in the Vidhana Soudha.

The matter became a talking point during Karnataka Assembly session on Monday with the BJP legislators demanding the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil and Rajanna to clear the air on this matter.

Rajanna, a Siddaramaiah loyalist, has been in the news for the past two months when he claimed that there would be an ‘August Revolution’, hinting at a major upheaval in the government.

What did Rajanna say?

Despite his open challenge to the party, Rajanna acknowledged that changes to the voter list were indeed made, which, he claimed, contributed to the Prime Minister’s assuming office.

“It is 100 per cent true that the Election Commission altered the voter list. In Mahadevapura, fraud definitely took place. But when the draft list was being prepared, was it not our responsibility to oversee it?” he said, according to Telangana today.

“These irregularities happened right before our eyes. Our silence back then is a matter of shame for all of us. We must admit this and be more vigilant in the future under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership,” he said.

“Our silence back then is a matter of shame for all of us. We must admit this and be more vigilant in the future under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership,” he added.

Rajana’s remarks came amid over 300 MPs from 25 opposition parties in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha planning a protest march from Parliament to the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters in Delhi on Monday.