Congress minister, MLAs meet Rajanna; BJP leader invites him to join party

Bengaluru: Senior BJP leader B Sriramulu has invited K N Rajanna, who was recently sacked as minister from the Congress government, to join the party along with his son and MLC Rajendra Rajanna, even as a state minister and some ruling party legislators met the MLA.

This group of Congress MLAs along with Minister Satish Jarkiholi met Rajanna at his residence on Wednesday and held discussions.

"The whole community (ST/Valmiki) and its leaders are with you, come to BJP. You and your son come to BJP. Myself, Shivanagouda Nayaka, Raju Gowda and all our leaders, we will welcome you into the party and ensure that you will get more respect than us in the party," Sriramulu said.

He said Rajanna was sacked for speaking the truth.

Rajanna, who was Cooperative Minister was removed from the cabinet on Monday, following directions from the Congress high command, according to party sources. His recent comments on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "votes theft" allegations during 2024 Lok Sabha polls, seems to have proved costly for him.

He had said that voter lists for the polls were prepared under the Congress government in Karnataka, and had questioned his own party as to why they didn't stop the irregularities then.

Meanwhile, Rajanna's supporters staged a protest in Tumakuru opposing his sacking from the Siddaramaiah-led cabinet.

Congress MLAs Raghumurthy, Basavanthappa, Anil Chikkamadhu, among others met Rajanna along with Satish Jarkiholi and held discussions.

Speaking to reporters, Jarkiholi said, "This was just a meeting." "This was a meeting to tell him that we are with him and as part of our friendship, we tried to instill confidence in him. He said he is satisfied with his performance as minister for two years and there is a misunderstanding about him in Delhi (leadership) and that he will go to Delhi and convince the high command." Asked whether Rajanna will go to Delhi alone or whether they too would join him as a delegation, he said, "Delegation going is different from him (Rajanna) going. He has to go and explain to the high command."

A delegation will be going to seek filling up of two ST vacancies in the cabinet, he said, "We will ask that they should be filled up without any delay and the same portfolios should be given to the Valmiki (ST) community. This is the demand. We will go after the (current Assembly) session." Rajanna is the second minister to be out of Siddaramaiah's Cabinet, after the Congress came to power in 2023.

Last year, Bellary MLA B Nagendra had to resign following allegations against him in connection with embezzlement at the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation.

To a question on Rajanna earlier claiming a conspiracy against him, Jarkiholi said, "There is a conspiracy, he (Rajanna) has said that he will speak when time comes, it's left to him." Responding to a question on taking Rajanna back to cabinet, he said, it is left to the high command, CM and the party president to decide.