Karnataka minister KN Rajanna submits resignation to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah after his comments on electoral theft

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], August 11 (ANI): Karnataka Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna on Monday submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, according to sources from the Chief Minister's Office.

The minister has also sent his resignation to the Governor's office.
The development comes after Friday's rally in Bengaluru by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi where he doubled down on his "vote theft" charge that "collusion" had happened between the Election Commission of India and the BJP to allow creation of over one lakh "fake votes" in the Mahadevapura Assembly Segment in the Banglaore Central Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka in the 2024 elections to ensure a win for the BJP.
On Saturday, Rajanna had, talking to reporters in Tumkuru, asked why Congress leaders "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.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar dismissed claims by Rajanna. "Mr KN Rajanna is totally at fault. He doesn't know. My Chief Minister and my party high command will reply to that," Shivakumar told reporters in Bengaluru today.
Shivakumar further said that the poll body should reply to the objections raised by Gandhi, "Whatever documents the Election Commission is asking, we are not schoolboys to reply whatever they ask. They are supposed to give us. He has given a representation and they know whatever is wrong. We have asked for some information and records. We have asked officially. I myself went to Election Commission. At no point of time my leader will take oath or answer to it. He has answered already in public."
Meanhwhile, Rajanna's son and Congress leader Rajendra Rajanna reacting to the resignation said, "I don't know what happened." (ANI)