Rajanna’s Dismissal Might Harm Congress In Karnataka: Tribal Votes To Internal Democracy Questions

Last Updated:August 12, 2025, 14:46 IST

Rajanna’s expulsion has added insult to injury, and the STs are unlikely to forget this soon. It has also exposed Siddaramaiah’s weakening grip over Karnataka government

Karnataka Minister KN Rajanna and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi | File Image

The ruling Karnataka Congress seems to have shot itself in the leg by sacking a senior tribal leader and Minister of Cooperation, KN Rajanna. Although Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is yet to make a statement on what forced him to sack his trusted minister in an unceremonious manner, it is no secret that the party high command in New Delhi is behind it.

According to insiders, Rajanna’s statement on “stealing of votes" contradicted the party’s stand, and an enraged leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, ordered Siddaramaiah to sack Rajanna not only from the Cabinet, but also from the party.

A shocked Siddaramaiah tried to delay, but in vain. After Rahul Gandhi’s protest against the Election Commission in Bengaluru, Rajanna, speaking to media in his native town Tumkur, had blamed the government officials working under his own government for the irregularities in the voters’ list. That led to a furore in the Congress, and a powerful section led by KPCC president and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar wasted no time in demanding his expulsion.

The Monsoon Session of the Karnataka Assembly began on Monday, and Rajanna was forced out by lunchtime, triggering panic in the ruling party. Though the Chief Minister’s office maintained that Rajanna has stepped down on his own, the letter sent by the Raj Bhawan to Chief Secretary Dr Shalini Rajneesh clearly states that he has been removed.

BJP calls it dictatorial decision of the Gandhi family

The main opposition, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has seized the opportunity to put the ruling party on the mat. Its leaders have described it as a dictatorial decision of the Gandhi family, who have ordered Rajanna’s sacking without following any democratic norms. They claim that Rahul Gandhi has no moral right to accuse the BJP of being undemocratic.

Tribal vote bank hit?

Since Rajanna is a tribal leader, it has taken a caste colour. The BJP and some tribal leaders have accused Siddaramaiah of hypocrisy. Another tribal minister, B Nagendra, was dropped from the Cabinet after the ED arrested him in an alleged scam last year. There were three tribal ministers in the government a year ago, and two have lost their seat.

The tribal population in Karnataka is about 5.5%, and they are densely populated in the eastern part of the state. A large chunk of them had moved away from the Congress 20 years ago and sided with the BJP. But they voted the Congress in large numbers in the 2023 Assembly elections and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which helped the party to sweep tribal-dominated districts.

Without realising the importance of tribals and the delicate caste balances, Gandhi has acted in haste, thus creating huge problems for the party, some political observers feel. Others feel that Rajanna’s expulsion has affected Gandhi-led INDIA bloc protest against alleged large-scale irregularities in the voters’ list, giving the BJP a golden opportunity to turn the tables on the Congress.

“What Rajanna has said may be wrong. But the party should have issued him a notice seeking his explanation on his statement. Sacking him like this has certainly dented our image. Now we can’t accuse PM Modi of being an autocrat," said a senior minister in the Siddaramaiah government on the condition of anonymity.

DK Shivakumar behind the sacking?

Some feel that the real reason is Shivakumar’s hatred for Rajanna, whom he holds responsible for creating a strong coterie around Siddaramaiah to counter DKS, whose chief ministerial ambitions have reached a crescendo. Rajanna’s supporters feel that DKS forced Gandhi to dismiss Rajanna to settle his personal scores with him.

The Scheduled Tribes (STs) are already unhappy with Siddaramaiah for unceremoniously suspending Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B Dayananda in connection with the stampede at M. Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium in last June. Dayananda, an outstanding IPS officer, is an ST, though he never advertised or used his caste to get favours in his 30-year career in the police department. Dayananda has now been posted as Director General of Police, Prisons, after his suspension was revoked two weeks ago.

Rajanna’s expulsion has added insult to injury, and the STs are unlikely to forget this soon.

It has also exposed Siddaramaiah’s weakening grip over the government. It has made him more vulnerable.

News politics Rajanna’s Dismissal Might Harm Congress In Karnataka: Tribal Votes To Internal Democracy Questions

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