Karnataka Minister Resigns Amidst Voter Fraud Allegations

Karnataka's political landscape was shaken on Monday as Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and dispatched a copy to the Governor's office. The move follows a rally led by Congress's Rahul Gandhi, who accused the Election Commission of collusion with the BJP, facilitating over one lakh 'fake votes' in the Mahadevapura Assembly Segment of the Bangalore Central Lok Sabha constituency for the 2024 elections.

During a press meet in Tumkuru on Saturday, Rajanna questioned why Congress leaders ignored voter list irregularities. He stated, '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.'

Meanwhile, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar refuted Rajanna's claims, asserting that the Election Commission must provide necessary information and respond to the allegations. Rajanna's son, Congress leader Rajendra Rajanna, reacted to the resignation news, expressing surprise, 'I don't know what happened.'

(With inputs from agencies.)