'What did he say wrong?': BJP slams Congress for dropping KN Rajanna over voter fraud remark

Joshi further mocked the Opposition protests over the issue as “childish”.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday targeted the Congress over the resignation of Karnataka minister KN Rajanna, saying the leader had merely echoed a valid question on alleged voter fraud before being dropped from the state cabinet.

“What did Rajanna say wrong? He pointed out that it was their government and they should have been alert. The same question was asked by their minister, a senior politician, and he was removed. Look at Congress’s mentality and the arrogance of this fake Gandhi family,” Joshi has been cited during an interaction by NDTV.

Rajanna, a known supporter of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, resigned on Monday after remarks suggesting the Congress government in Karnataka should “feel ashamed” if irregularities in voter lists occurred under its watch. His statement came in the wake of Gandhi’s allegations of large-scale voter fraud in the Mahadevapura Assembly segment of the Bangalore Central Lok Sabha seat and accusations of the poll panel's collusion with the BJP.

Joshi further mocked the Opposition protests over the issue as “childish”.

He argued that the Congress held power in Karnataka during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and that any irregularities fell under its administrative purview. “The Election Commission in the district means the DC or DM. Why didn’t they see? The government was theirs,” he has been cited by NDTV.

Rahul Gandhi, on Monday, led a march of the INDIA bloc leaders to the Election Commission in Delhi. The police, however, blocked the rally and detained several leaders.

Joshi also questioned the intent of taking “300-400 people” when only 30 were permitted to meet officials, accusing the Opposition of seeking “lawlessness” rather than dialogue.

He also criticised Gandhi for not filing a written complaint despite alleging that one voter, Aditya Srivastava, was registered in three locations, claims the Election Commission has denied with proof.