Bengaluru: Congress legislator KN Rajanna, a former minister, fired his first political salvo after losing the Karnataka State Co-operative Apex Bank president’s post, questioning Congress brass’ social representation and claiming party members themselves filed the complaint in the Mysore Urban Development Authority (Muda) case.Rajanna, a ST MLA and loyalist of former CM Siddaramaiah, raised the issues during separate meetings with deputy CM G Parameshwara and Congress state president BK Hariprasad in Bengaluru. He first met Parameshwara at his residence before calling on Hariprasad.During the meeting, Rajanna who lost the apex bank post to CM DK Shivakumar’s brother-in-law and MLC S Ravi, objected to the recent appointment of presidents for 35 district Congress units, pointing out that no woman was appointed and that backward classes had not received adequate representation. Of the 35, only eight are from backward classes. Even among these eight, proper social engineering was not done, Rajanna said.He urged Hariprasad to take up the issue with Randeep Singh Surjewala, Congress national general secretary in charge of Karnataka, and KC Venugopal, general secretary (organisation). Hariprasad, Rajanna said, acknowledged the shortcomings and assured him that his concerns would be conveyed to central party brass.Rajanna also made a pointed remark in the Muda case, in which Siddaramaiah was accused of irregularities in allotment of compensatory sites. Defending the former CM, Rajanna said the complaint was filed by Congress members.“Weren’t people from within Congress the ones who filed the complaint? Power is poison. It is like weeds growing around a plant,’’ Rajanna said.He had earlier backed Siddaramaiah during the controversy, arguing that those who had allegedly obtained sites by creating false documents were making allegations against the former CM. He had also accused BJP and JD(S) of conspiring to tarnish Siddaramaiah’s image.Rajanna, who was dropped from the cabinet in 2025, had lobbied hard for the Apex Bank post, meeting Surjewala in Delhi and seeking Siddaramaiah’s support. But in a sudden development on Sept 9, the high command finalised Ravi’s name, leaving Rajanna disappointed.On his political plans, Rajanna said he did not intend to contest the next assembly election but wanted to contest a Lok Sabha election in the future. He said he had discussed the decision with Parameshwara and Hariprasad. “I told them that I will contest the Lok Sabha election but not the assembly election. They agreed and said it was a good decision,’’ Rajanna said.
