BENGALURU: BJP MLAs ST Somashekar, who cross-voted in the recent Rajya Sabha polls, and Shivaram Hebbar, who abstained from voting, met Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar here on Thursday. Both the leaders went against their party’s diktat, and were being issued showcause notices for violating the latter’s whip. Accordingly, they held talks on lending support to Congress candidates in the Lok Sabha polls, according to sources. The meeting has its own significance since the ruling Congress is vying for 20 seats, which is important for both Shivakumar and CM Siddaramaiah to retain their positions.
Yashwanthpur MLA Somashekar is likely to support the Congress candidate in the Bengaluru North Lok Sabha seat. He also attacked the BJP candidate and Minister of State for Agriculture Shobha Karandlaje for her alleged statement that “people from Tamil Nadu came to Bengaluru and planted bombs”.
“In the past, no BJP MPs, including DB Chandre Gowda or DV Sadananda Gowda, have issued such statements,” he claimed. He claimed that he has replied to the BJP’s showcause notice of one page with 170 pages of answers by citing certain judgements in high courts and Supreme Court with regard to the cross-voting. Meanwhile, Hebbar is also likely to support the Congress candidate in Uttara Kannada, against the BJP candidate.