Karnataka IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge strongly pushed back against remarks made by sacked Congress minister KN Rajanna, who claimed that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was the party’s key vote-puller. Rajanna had described Siddaramaiah as a mass leader and said the Congress could not secure votes without him, calling it his personal opinion.
Drawing comparisons with other parties, Rajanna said there was no BJP in Karnataka without BS Yediyurappa and no JD(S) without HD Deve Gowda and his family, adding that Congress, too, depended on Siddaramaiah. His remarks came as Siddaramaiah surpassed veteran leader Devaraj Urs to become Karnataka’s longest-serving Chief Minister.
Responding sharply, Priyank Kharge said such statements were inappropriate and stressed that the Congress did not revolve around any single individual. He said the party’s strength lay in its ideology, principles and collective leadership, pointing out that Congress has endured and grown for 140 years.
Kharge added that questioning the party’s role after winning elections or while continuing in power was wrong, asserting that Congress belongs to its organisation and leadership, not to one person.
Rajanna’s comments triggered unease within the party. He was removed from the state cabinet in August 2025 after publicly criticising the party’s stance on electoral issues and making controversial remarks on voter list irregularities that appeared to blame the Congress government itself. The remarks reportedly upset the party high command, leading to disciplinary action and his resignation.
