JD(S) MLA Srinivasa Gowda after casting his vote in the Rajya Sabha elections on Friday.
Bangalore:
At least two legislators of Janata Dal (Secular), Srinivasa Gowda and Srinivasa Gubbi, voted for the Congress in the Rajya Sabha elections to be held for four seats in Karnataka on Friday. The cross-voting is crucial as a seat is seeing a heated contest between the main opposition parties – the Congress and the JD(S) – with both vowing to defeat the BJP.
Srinivasa Gowda was asked whom he voted for as he was leaving the assembly premises. “I voted for Congress,” he said. Asked why, he replied, “Because I love it.”
He has said earlier also that he will leave the JD(S) led by HD Kumaraswamy and join the Congress.
JD(S) president HD Kumaraswamy confirmed that two of the party’s 32 MLAs went against it and voted for the Congress. “The Congress has strengthened the BJP by not supporting a secular party like ours,” he said.
Results are expected by evening.
A day before the election, Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, a former chief minister, wrote an open letter to JD(S) legislators requesting them to cast their “conscience vote” in favor of their party’s candidate Mansoor Ali Khan. which said that his victory would be a victory for the “secular ideology” of both the parties.
Mr Kumaraswamy, in an interview to NDTV on the same day, accused the Congress of having no interest in defeating the BJP candidate. The JD(S) had allegedly taken its MLAs to a hotel to prevent poaching from the Congress, accusing the party of playing “dirty politics”.
Six candidates filed their nominations for four seats in Karnataka, leading to a fierce contest for the fourth seat.
A candidate needs 45 votes to win in the Rajya Sabha elections.
State’s ruling party BJP has fielded three candidates. On the strength of its strength in the assembly, it can easily win two seats. The Congress has fielded two candidates, although its figures suggest that it may be sure to win one.
For the fourth seat, BJP has got 32 votes and Congress 24 votes, while JD(S) has 32 MLAs. No party has the exact numbers to win this seat, but all three have fielded their candidates. The JD(S) has fielded only one candidate.
Both the Congress and the JD(S) have vowed to defeat the BJP, but none is ready to back down. Mr Kumaraswamy questioned why his party should back out when there are more MLAs left for the seat than the Congress, and thus has a better chance of winning.
Congress leaders said it was time for the JD(S) to return a favor, pointing out that former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, Mr Kumaraswamy’s father, was last elected to the Rajya Sabha with its support in June 2020. Were.
MLAs are voting for 16 Rajya Sabha seats after 41 seats were filled by unopposed candidates. The Rajya Sabha elections are important in view of the Presidential elections to be held next month.