K’taka: BJP to identify cross-voters in council polls
Bengaluru: Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday said that those responsible for cross-voting in the Legislative Council elections would be identified, warning that party members who betrayed the BJP would eventually be exposed.
Speaking to reporters after congratulating the victorious candidates in the Legislative Council elections, Senior BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka said the BJP was pleased with the victory of its candidates, Lingaraj Patil and Raghu Kautilya.
“We are happy that our candidates, Lingaraj Patil and Raghu Kautilya, have emerged victorious in the Legislative Council elections,” he said.
Referring to the voting pattern, Ashoka said three votes had crossed over and one vote had been declared invalid. He added that the BJP would examine the issue in detail and discuss it within the party before taking any further action.
“We will investigate who cross-voted and the reasons behind it. The matter will be discussed on the party platform, and an appropriate decision will be taken,” he said.
The Legislative Council election witnessed cross-voting by legislators, helping the Congress secure additional votes beyond its expected strength in the Assembly. Despite the setback, BJP candidates Lingaraj Patil and Raghu Kautilya succeeded in winning seats in the seven-member Council election.
Karnataka BJP President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra said the party would conduct an internal review into the cross-voting reported during the Legislative Council elections and take an appropriate decision based on its findings.
Speaking to reporters after felicitating the victorious BJP candidates at Jagannath Bhavan, the BJP state headquarters in Malleswaram, Vijayendra congratulated BJP candidates Raghu Kautilya and Lingaraj Patil on their victory in the Council polls.
Referring to the voting pattern, Vijayendra said three votes expected to go to Lingaraj Patil had crossed over, while one vote intended for Raghu Kautilya was declared invalid. He said the party would examine who was responsible and the reasons behind it, and a suitable decision would be taken after a thorough review.
Several BJP leaders were present during the event, including MLAs Harish Poonja and Mahesh Tenginkai, MLC Keshava Prasad, former MP S. Muniswamy, BJP State General Secretary P. Rajeev, Bengaluru North District President S. Harish, and Bengaluru Central District President Saptagiri Gowda.
The Legislative Council elections witnessed significant cross-voting, with the Congress securing more votes than its expected strength in the Assembly. The BJP has indicated that it will closely scrutinise the voting pattern and identify those responsible for deviating from the party line.