Bengaluru, 11 Aug 

In a sudden move, Karnataka Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna was sacked on Monday from the Cabinet after the Congress high command instructed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to remove him for his "vote theft" remarks that embarrassed the party and its leader Rahul Gandhi.

Initially, Siddaramaiah asked Rajanna to resign. However, since he did not resign, he was removed from the Cabinet, sources in the CM's office told PTI. A letter to remove Rajanna was sent by the CM to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, and the recommendation was accepted by the Raj Bhavan.

Rajanna, a Siddaramaiah loyalist, drew the ire of the Congress high command when he reportedly blamed his party-led government in Karnataka for the "vote theft" in the Mahadevapura Assembly segment during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a statement which contradicted the party line.

Rajanna reportedly said the "vote theft" happened "right in front of our eyes",

Rahul Gandhi had recently held a press conference in New Delhi and later a public meeting in Bengaluru, where he claimed that the BJP government at the Centre came to power due to "vote theft". He also cited the presence of over a lakh bogus voters in the Mahadevapura Assembly segment under the Bengaluru Central Parliamentary constituency.

Rajanna's remarks triggered immediate backlash from within the party, with the party High Command taking it seriously and finally instructing the CM to remove him from the cabinet, sources said.

Reacting to the development, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who is also the Congress state president, said he was not aware why Rajanna was removed.

"I don't know why he was removed. The party has decided. We are friends and have been in public life together for the past 25 years. It pains me as well, but what can be done? After all, this is the party's decision," Shivakumar told reporters.

This is not Rajanna's first run-in with the leadership. In recent months, Rajanna had publicly criticised the way appointments to boards and corporations were made, spoken about "too many power centres" in the Congress, and hinted at big political changes after September.

He has also been making headlines for the past two months after hinting at a ‘September Revolution’, fueling speculation of a major upheaval in the government.

Rajanna's removal also came up during the Karnataka Assembly session on Monday, with the BJP legislators demanding that Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil and Rajanna clear the air.

Raising the issue in the Assembly, Leader of Opposition, BJP R Ashoka sought to know the specific allegations against Rajanna.

"Are there any corruption charges against Rajanna? How much money has he made, and where has he kept it? He just spoke the truth that there was (Congress government during the 2024 Lok Sabha election) when the voting took place,” he said.