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Karnataka minister KN Rajanna removed from cabinet amid 'vote-theft' row
Rahul Goreja New Delhi
Karnataka Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna was removed from the cabinet on Monday after Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot accepted the recommendation for his dismissal, news agency PTI reported.
Special Secretary to the Karnataka Governor writes to the Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka "I am directed to forward herewith the original Notification signed by the Hon'ble Governor for removal of KN Rajanna, Hon'ble Minister for Co-operation, from the Council of… https://t.co/qMUbpEgbRC pic.twitter.com/vWVLd5JLC8
— ANI (@ANI) August 11, 2025
This move followed Chief Minister (CM) Siddaramaiah's recommendation to the governor to sack Rajanna, after the minister initially resisted calls to resign, the report added.
While the reason for his dismissal is not known yet, it is being looked at in the context of his criticism of the Congress party in relation to the "vote-theft" row.
Background
Rajanna reportedly upset the Congress leadership by questioning his own party's government in Karnataka for the alleged 'vote theft' in the Mahadevapura Assembly segment, as claimed by senior party leader and leader of opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi.
Gandhi accused the Election Commission of India of colluding with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to manipulate the 2024 Lok Sabha elections through voter fraud. He alleged that more than 100,000 fake voters were recorded in Mahadevapura during the elections.
Rajanna, however, said that the irregularities took place while Congress was in charge of Karnataka and said they happened 'right before our eyes.'
"Look, if we just start talking about such things casually, there will be different opinions. 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? These irregularities did take place — that's the truth. There is nothing false," Rajanna said, according to The Times of India.
He further alleged that the Congress-ruled Karnataka government "kept quiet" at that time.
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