Congress ‘Should Feel Ashamed’: Karnataka Minister's Defiant Take On Voter List Row Triggers His Resignation
Karnataka Minister K.N. Rajanna admitted to voter list irregularities during the previous Congress government, contradicting Rahul Gandhi's claims against the ECI.
Karnataka Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna on Monday stirred controversy with his remarks on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations against the Election Commission of India (ECI).
According to news agency ANI, speaking to reporters, Rajanna 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.”
He further acknowledged, “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.”
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, reacting to the statement, told reporters, “Mr. K.N. Rajanna is totally at fault. He doesn’t know. My Chief Minister and my party’s high command will reply to it.”
Soon after his remark, he submitted his resignation from the cabinet, ANI reported, citing the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). According to news agency IANS, Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot accepted his resignation.
BJP Seizes On K N Rajanna's Remarks: 'No Place For Truth In Congress'
Seizing on the row, Karnataka BJP President and MLA BY Vijayendra asked top Congress leadership to take responsibility for the alleged voter list irregularities.
“Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party don't have the guts to face reality. Facts are very clear. Since Rahul Gandhi was claiming malpractices on the part of the Election Commission, a senior minister in Siddaramaiah's cabinet has disclosed the fact that all these discrepancies have taken place during the Congress tenure only. Under Siddaramaiah's leadership only, all these malpractices have taken place. So now it's the responsibility of Rahul Gandhi as well as Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar to give the response... We'll discuss on the floor of the House also,” he said, as per ANI.
#WATCH | Bengaluru | On Karnataka minister KN Rajanna’s statement, Karnataka BJP President & MLA, BY Vijayendra says, "Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party don't have the guts to face reality. Facts are very clear. Since Rahul Gandhi was claiming malpractices on the part of the… pic.twitter.com/FCCRCe8zVS
— ANI (@ANI) August 11, 2025
BJP MP and former Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai told ANI, “This shows there is no place for truth in Congress. He had told the truth that all these voter lists were prepared during their regime... So he was axed... Truth is a casualty. One should only tell lies, pamper the leaders, and fool the people. This is the motto, principle, and aim of Congress.”
#WATCH | Delhi | On Karnataka Minister KN Rajanna's submitting a resignation from the post of cabinet minister, BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai says, "This shows there is no place for truth in Congress. He had told the truth that all these voter lists were prepared during their regime...… pic.twitter.com/t2fLWPGNI7
— ANI (@ANI) August 11, 2025
According to ANI, Union MoS Shobha Karandlaje accused the grand old party of spreading lies as she remarked, "I want to ask Congress, why did they make KN Rajanna resign? It is because Rajanna ji spoke the truth. Congress doesn't want the truth to come out. They spread lies both inside and outside the Parliament."
CM’s Office Confirms Resignation Request: Report
According to PTI sources in the CMO, Rajanna has been asked to step down. The development came after he met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the Vidhana Soudha on Monday. BJP legislators also raised the matter in the Karnataka Assembly, urging Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil and Rajanna to clarify the issue.
Rajanna, known to be a close aide of Siddaramaiah, has made headlines in recent months for predicting an ‘August Revolution’ — a term he used to hint at a possible political shake-up in the state.
ECI Notice to Rahul Gandhi Over Duplicate Vote Claim
The controversy comes against the backdrop of Rahul Gandhi's allegations of voter list irregularities in the Lok Sabha election 2024. The Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) issuing a notice to Rahul Gandhi on Sunday. Gandhi has been asked to submit documents supporting his claim that a woman, identified as Smt Shakun Rani, voted twice in the state.
The ECI’s notice stated, “You have also stated that as per the records given by the polling officer, Smt Shakun Rani had voted twice… On inquiry, Smt Shakun Rani has stated that she has voted only once and not twice, as alleged by you.”
A preliminary inquiry by the CEO’s office found that the tick-marked document shown by Gandhi at a press conference in New Delhi last week was not issued by any polling officer. The notice urged Gandhi to provide evidence for his claim so that a detailed investigation could be carried out.
The Election Commission later reiterated that Gandhi still had time to either submit a signed declaration substantiating his allegations of vote theft in Karnataka, Haryana, and Maharashtra, or apologise to the nation for making what it described as “absurd allegations.”
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