BENGALURU: Former Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna, ST strongman and MLA from Madhugiri, has done it again. In his latest bombshell, Rajanna claimed that the Congress itself is responsible for the electoral rolls, a statement that contradicted Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi and sent shockwaves among the party ranks.
The remark is the latest among Rajanna’s growing controversies, giving him the reputation of the Congress minister most likely to trigger a political storm with his words.
This is not the first time Rajanna has left his party red-faced. In an episode on the floor of the House, he had declared himself a victim of circumstances who nearly fell prey to a honeytrap, a claim that reportedly left the Congress high command seething.
There were also media reports about an alleged attempt to ensnare his son MLC Rajendra, as well, which could have been a scandal with major potential ramifications.
Rajanna had earlier provoked Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar by suggesting the state should have three more deputy chief ministers, stunning even his supporters. Shivakumar, seething with anger, had politely ignored his statements because the high command had issued a diktat barring public sparring.
Rajanna’s casual, sometimes cutting remarks about cabinet colleagues, especially Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara, had repeatedly forced the minister’s camp into damage control mode. Parameshwara and Rajanna have reportedly known each other from their campus days.
The Madhugiri MLA also publicly berated his own party over delays in appointing heads to boards and corporations. He had also forecast a ‘political revolution’ in August-September, a cryptic prophecy that once again had the Congress scrambling to contain the fallout.
With each unfiltered outburst, KN Rajanna continues to live up to his reputation as the party’s most unpredictable and perhaps most dangerous voice in the government.
