BENGALURU: Ruling Congress bagged three seats and BJP secured one in the biennial elections held for four seats of the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka on Tuesday.
Former Union minister and AICC treasurer Ajay Maken, Syed Naseer Hussain and GC Chandrashekar of Congress, Narayansa K Bhandage of BJP were declared elected for a tenure of six years from April 3, 2024. The polling and counting of votes was held at Vidhana Soudha.
The BJP-JDS alliance faced a setback as their candidate, fifth in the fray -- former RS member D Kupendra Reddy of JDS polled 36 votes against the 45 required and lost. Of the 224 elected MLAs, 222 exercised their franchise and all the votes were valid. While Yellapur BJP MLA Shivaram Hebbar abstained, Surapura Congress MLA Raja Venkatappa Naik died on Sunday.
The results were on the expected lines, except for a drama involving two rebel BJP MLAs who defied the party whip to favour Congress, which made no difference. Yeshwanthpur MLA ST Somashekar cross voted for Maken of Congress, while Hebbar did not turn up. Both are likely to join Congress.
It’s vote against BJP-JDS alliance: DKS
Somashekar defended his move, alleging that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, whom he claimed to have voted for during the last RS polls, did not give grants for development or an appointment to meet her. “I exercised my franchise as per my conscience and also showed it to the authorised leader (the BJP agent),” he said after casting his vote.
“The JDS-BJP alliance is further strengthened by the Rajya Sabha elections. The traitor (Somashekar) who jumped from Congress to BJP and enjoyed power now betrayed BJP by cross-voting. Neither BJP, nor I am shocked. The real game is in the Lok Sabha elections,” said JDS state president HD Kumaraswamy.
JDS and BJP workers protested, alleging that a large amount of money had exchanged hands for Somashekar to cross-vote. They burnt his effigy and demanded his disqualification as MLA.
The BJP leadership, including state president BY Vijayendra and Leader of Opposition R Ashoka, discussed punitive action against Somashekar. They are likely to take the issue forward after getting the advice from the BJP high command.
“Somashekar cast his vote as per his conscience. It’s a vote against the unholy BJP-JDS alliance,” said Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC president DK Shivakumar, adding that he will consider extending legal support to Somashekar.
“We are aware of what could have happened if our numbers wobbled a bit,” he remarked, replying to Kumaraswamy’s statement that for JDS, keeping the flock together was more important than winning or losing the RS polls.
Despite its 134 MLAs, Congress seemed to be under pressure and had moved its MLAs to a hotel on Monday evening to prevent cross-voting in favour of Kupendra Reddy, who had allegedly contacted 41 Congress MLAs over phone.
Independents Latha Mallikarjun and Puttaswamy Gowda, Sarvodaya Karnataka Party MLA Darshan Puttannaiah and KRPP Gangavathi MLA and mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy also helped Congress. “ I exercised my franchise as per my conscience,” Reddy said.
“A testimony to the leadership, policies, programmes & indelible commitment to the cause of Karnataka by CM Siddaramaiah and PCC President DKShivakumar,” AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala posted on X.
BJP to take legal action against MLA
Bengaluru: The Opposition BJP has decided to take legal action against MLA ST Somashekar for violating the party whip by cross voting in the Rajya Sabha polls. “Whatever he has done, it is political suicide,” Leader of Opposition R Ashoka said
