Who Is KN Rajanna? The Congress Maverick Stirring Up Political Chaos In Bengaluru! News24 –

Karnataka Minister KN Rajanna has resigned following a controversy sparked by his remarks on Congress’s voter list allegations, which deeply upset the party. The minister sparked controversy after stating that irregularities in the electoral rolls — the very allegation Congress and its allies have made against the BJP — had, in fact, occurred in the state when Congress was in power. Rajanna held a meeting with the Chief Minister in the Vidhana Soudha, after which he sent in his resignation.

Last week, Rajanna had said that while irregularities in the voter list, as claimed by Rahul Gandhi, had indeed occurred, they had taken place when the Congress was in power.

What Rajanna Said

“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,” Rajanna had said.

“These irregularities did take place – that’s the truth. There is nothing false in this. 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,” he added.
He also stressed that it is the responsibility of leaders to “act in a timely fashion on issues like electoral rolls.”
Rajanna’s comments have sparked widespread debate and landed Congress in a spot of jeopardy. This is not the first time the minister has sparked a controversy in his wake. Previously, he had been at the epicentre of several controversies.

Rajanna’s Political Career

Rajanna is a graduate with a Science degree from the Government Science College and an LLB degree from Vidyodaya Law College, Tumkur, Bangalore University (1984). He began his career in the cooperative sector, previously serving as a director of the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India and as president of the Karnataka State Cooperative Apex Bank Ltd.
His political career began when he served as the secretary of the Kyathasandra taluk unit of the Indian National Congress.

In 1976, he was elected president of Nagar Panchayat Kyathasandra, before heading the INC’s youth congress wing of the Tumkur district unit between 1980 and 1984. Rajanna was elected to the Karnataka Legislative Council in 1998, completing a six-year term until 2004. After being denied an INC ticket to contest the 2004 Legislative Assembly election from Bellavi, Rajanna quit the party and joined the Janata Dal (Secular), with whose ticket he successfully contested. He returned to the Assembly in 2013 from Madhugiri, and again in 2023.
He served two terms as president of the Karnataka State Cooperative Apex Bank Ltd — first from 2001 to 2005, and then from 2015 to 2020. In May 2023, he was appointed a Cabinet Minister and given the Cooperation portfolio.

Rajanna And The Controversies

Recently, he had demanded the replacement of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar as president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee. Before that, he had also called for the creation of more Deputy Chief Ministerial posts – a move widely seen as an attempt to “weaken” Shivakumar, who had been holding multiple posts. Rajanna also hinted that a major political development would take place in September, possibly indicating a change in leadership in the Congress government.