Bengaluru, Aug. 12 -- In a sudden development on the first day of the Monsoon Session of the State Legislature, Co-operation Minister K.N. Rajanna was sacked from the Cabinet yesterday, in what is seen as a fallout of his criticism of Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi's 'vote theft' charge against the Election Commission (EC).

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is said to have received a diktat from the Congress High Command yesterday morning to sack his close aide Rajanna, who had publicly ridiculed Rahul Gandhi's allegations on 'vote theft.'

The sacking was not without a touch of drama as Rajanna, a staunch supporter of Siddaramaiah, in a bid to pre-empt his sacking, offered to resign and went to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO).

However, act...