Karnataka Minister Resigns after Embarrassing Party on “Vote Theft” Allegation by Rahul Gandhi
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Aug 11: The opposition Members of Parliament on Monday took out a march from the Parliament House to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to protest against the on-going “Special Intensive Revision” (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar and the alleged “Vote Chori” by the poll body, even as the Karnataka Congress minister whose uncalled for statement punched holes in the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi’s charges against the ECI giving a leeway to the BJP to attack the Congress, resigned from the cabinet.
Mr KN Rajanna, the cooperation minister in the Siddaramaiah cabinet, tendered his resignation, apparently at the asking of the Congress high command, and was promptly accepted after his remarks on the Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of “vote chori” at a media conference at Tumkuru on Saturday heavily embarrassed the party.
The minister, a loyalist of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, had sparked row saying that irregularities in the electoral rolls — which is the big allegation from the Congress camp — occurred in the state when the Congress was in power. He said in the public that “vote theft” took place during the Congress government’s tenure during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Mr Rajanna had questioned the party’s stand over alleged electoral roll manipulation, remarks that directly contradicted the Congress’s official stand on the “vote theft” and embarrassed the Congress high command. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had staged a protest against “vote theft” in Bengaluru on August 8, 2025.
The BJP, which had raised a ruckus in the assembly over his comments — demanding that the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil and Mr Rajanna clear the air — jeered that the Congress insisted on gag orders on its members and there is no democracy in the party. “There is no democracy within the Congress. If you tell the truth you are asked to resign,” said senior BJP leader CT Ravi.
Mr Rajanna had said while irregularities had indeed occurred in the voter list, as claimed by senior party leader Rahul Gandhi, it had occurred when the Congress was in power. “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,” Mr Rajanna had said.
Speaking to reporters in Tumkuru on Saturday, Mr Rajanna had asked why Congress leaders had “turned a blind eye” to irregularities in voter lists and kept silent when they should have raised objections. He said, “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 in this.”
Admitting that the irregularities happened openly, he said, “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.”
“In Mahadevapura, there was indeed fraud. One person was registered in three different places and voted in all three. But when the draft electoral rolls are being prepared, we have to monitor it, right?…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,” Rajanna said. He also urged that it was the responsibility of leaders to “act in timely fashion on issues like electoral rolls.”
The Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar strongly rebutted the claims, defending the party’s track record and accusing the opposition of exploiting Rajanna’s statement which has punched holes in the allegations of Congress’s Rahul Gandhi — that the Election Commission is taking orders from the BJP and helping introduce fake voters in the electoral rolls to engineer a victory for the party.
Mr Rajanna had also sparked off many other controversies in the past and had been demanding replacement of Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar as the president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee. He had also insisted on the need for the creation of more deputy chief ministerial posts in a move to “weaken” the position of Mr Shivakumar, who has been holding multiple posts. Mr Rajanna also said “a major political development will take place in September,” indicating a change of leadership in the Congress government.
Mr Rajanna, who belonged to the Valmiki community, was recently removed from the post of the Minister in-charge of district of Hassan. Mr Rajanna is second minister to resign after B. Nagendra, who quit after alleged scam in Valmiki Development Corporation. Both belonged to SC community. The BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra, responding to the development, said Mr Rajanna had “paid the price for speaking the truth.”
Meanwhile, the march to the ECI office taken out by the opposition MPs, including the Leaders of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge respectively, was stopped midway by the police and detained amid high drama.
Police put up barricades on the way to prevent the MPs, protesting the voter roll revision in Bihar and the alleged poll rigging, from marching forward. As the MPs were stopped, many of them sat on the road and raised slogans while some women MPs, including saree-clad TMC’s Mahua Moitra and the Congress’ Sanjana Jatav and Jothimani, climbed the barricading and raised slogans against the EC. TMC MP Mitali Bag fainted during the Opposition’s protest march to the ECI office. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and others were seen assisting the MP.
More than 30 MPs, including Congress’ Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut and TMC’s Sagarika Ghose, were detained. The Election Commission had only given permission to 30 MPs to enter its premises but the protesters were in “large numbers”, officials said. Besides, no one had sought permission for the protest march to the Election Commission, they said. They were later whisked away by police in buses lined up along the road and taken to the Parliament Street Police Station. All the MPs were released after about two hours.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay said the detention of MPs from the Opposition parties in New Delhi is condemnable. In a post on X, Mr Vijay also reiterated is party’s stand of free and fair election to safeguard democracy and said it must be ensured.
“Actually, we cannot talk to the ECI, this is the reality,” LoP Rahul Gandhi told reporters after he was detained by the police as the Opposition’s march to the ECI was stopped. “The truth is before the nation and this fight is not political, it is to save the Constitution. It is fight for one man-one vote. We want a clean and accurate voter list,” he added.
Endorsing Rahul Gandhi’s statement, Congress president Kharge said “if a government does not even allow us to go towards the Election Commission, I don’t know what the government is afraid of.” This is a peaceful demonstration by VVIPs, no one is here to create trouble…The Election Commission could have handled things differently. They could have addressed all the MPs in a hall and given opportunity for everyone to speak. It is not feasible to choose 30 MPs from all alliance parties,” he added.
On Opposition’s march to Election Commission on Bihar SIR, BJP leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan says, “The country can see if there is anyone who is working against the Constitution, it is led by Rahul Gandhi. SIR is not happening for the first time in the country.”
“Congress lies about EVMs, raises the issue of Maharashtra elections, Haryana elections and creates a mountain of lies…It is their well-thought-out strategy to create a state of anarchy…I appeal to the Opposition and the Congress party to raise all issues in Parliament…During discussion on Operation Sindoor in Parliament, the Opposition and Congress had no agenda…,” he added.
