Bengaluru, Sep 2

Karnataka Congress MLA HC Balakrishna on Tuesday claimed that senior party leader and legislator K N Rajanna, who was recently sacked from the ministry, was preparing to join the BJP in the days ahead.

Rubbishing the MLA's claim, Rajanna's son and Congress MLC R Rajendra hit back, stating that Balakrishna was part of a team that may jump ship to the BJP for the sake of power and the chief minister post for their leader.

Rajendra also took a dig at Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, without taking his name, while alleging conspiracy against his father Rajanna, who is considered close to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

The development in a way exposes the internal power struggle within the ruling Congress, according to party sources.

"Everyone knows how Rajanna conducted and spoke when he was the minister; it is because of that he lost his minister post. There was no conspiracy behind it. As far as I know, he is ready to join another party. Rajanna has applied to join BJP. He wants to put blame for it on our party and leader alleging conspiracy against him. Our leader has no role in it. It was a high command decision to sack him," Balakrishna said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said Rajanna is conspiring to put the blame on the Congress and leave the party.

Stating that let brain mapping be done on Rajanna to know with whom he is in touch, the MLA from Magadi said, "Hundred per cent he (Rajanna) will quit the party. If Congress was not in power, he would have gone by now."

"He (Rajanna) is still in Congress as the party is in power. He has already taken one step out of the party. He is already in discussion and in touch with another party," he said.

Rajanna, who was the Cooperative Minister was removed from the cabinet last month, following directions from the Congress high command.

His recent comments on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "vote theft" allegations during 2024 Lok Sabha polls seemed to have proved costly for him.

Hitting back at Balakrishna, Rajendra, while noting that the former was with other parties before joining the Congress, said he was making such comments against Rajanna to please someone with an expectation of getting the minister post during the cabinet reshuffle.

He said Rajanna had earlier predicted "revolutionary political developments" in the state after September. "Maybe he (Rajanna) was referring about these people, who are now making allegations against him, jumping ship to Bthe JP. These are the very people who got together to get him (Rajanna) sacked from the ministry."

Asked about former BJP leader and Bijapur City MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal's recent claim that Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar's one leg is towards the BJP, he said, "It is the same September revolution that Rajanna had predicted -- about some people in Congress joining BJP for power and the CM post."

Yatnal had claimed that there was a round of discussion in Delhi to make Shivakumar the chief minister if he jumped sides with 60-70 Congress MLAs, but nothing happened as the BJP leadership got a report that he lackedthe  support of legislators.

Noting that his father Rajanna lost his minister post because of "unseen hands", Rajendra said, "Rajanna has clearly said that he will not quit Congress as he has enjoyed power because of Congress and that he will remain in the party till the end. Rajanna did not sing the RSS song in the Assembly, and he has never been to RSS Shakhas in his childhood or youth. Rajanna has his own ideology."

He also said that his father was targeted for supporting CM Siddaramaiah.

Shivakumar, also the state Congress president, had taken everyone by surprise by singing a couple of lines of the RSS prayer song on the floor of the House last month, during a debate. Stung by criticism from within the Congress party, he had subsequently apologised for it.

Meanwhile, Rajanna himself on Monday made it clear that he was not quitting Congress to join another party. He said this after meeting with over 15 seers from the backward and Dalit communities, pressing for his inclusion in the state Cabinet.

The seers also plan to visit New Delhi soon to meet senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and CM Siddaramaiah here, urging them to induct Rajanna back into the cabinet.