"Four cross-votes reported, fact-finding panel to submit report by June 25": BY Vijayendra on Karnataka MLC polls row

"What happened in the MLC elections is very unfortunate. According to us, there were four cross-votes. We have taken this seriously. We have announced a fact-finding committee headed by CT Ravi, and we expect a report before the 25th. Next week, I will go to Delhi and meet with all senior leaders and brief them on the situation," he said.

Karnataka BJP state president BY Vijayendra on Friday said the cross-voting in the Legislative Council elections was "very unfortunate" and confirmed that the party has constituted a fact-finding committee to probe the matter. Speaking to the media, Vijayendra said the MLC result was unfortunate, alleging four cross-votes, and added that a fact-finding committee headed by CT Ravi has been formed with a report due by June 25. He said he will visit Delhi next week to brief senior leaders. "What happened in the MLC elections is very unfortunate. According to us, there were four cross-votes. We have taken this seriously. We have announced a fact-finding committee headed by CT Ravi, and we expect a report before the 25th. Next week, I will go to Delhi and meet with all senior leaders and brief them on the situation," he said.

Reacting to the controversy, Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy criticised the double standards over the issue. "Who got those 11 votes? Congress. If Congress won by buying 11 such votes, then it is a victory of democracy for Congress. If someone comes to the BJP and votes for us and wins, then it becomes unconstitutional. Their victory is constitutional; our victory is unconstitutional. What is this?" he asked.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Minister Ramalinga Reddy said the cross-voting reflected internal dissatisfaction within the Opposition ranks. "This shows that they (MLAs) are unhappy with their leaders and their party. There is a lack of leadership in the BJP, and so is the JD(S). Let's see what happens in the future. There is no leadership. The BJP will not survive in the future," he told ANI.

The BJP has formed a three-member committee to investigate the cross-voting by its MLAs in the Legislative Council elections held on June 18. The committee comprises CT Ravi, N Mahesh, and Mahesh Tenginakayi, and has been asked to submit its report by June 25, according to a party press release from the BJP state headquarters in Bengaluru. The move comes amid allegations that at least four to five BJP MLAs and several JD(S) legislators cross-voted during the polls. The Congress won five of the seven seats, while the BJP secured only two despite having 64 MLAs in the Assembly.

Separately, Vijayendra also responded to the Mekedatu dam issue, urging cooperation between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to resolve the long-pending dispute. "DK Shivakumar, who was then KPCC President, undertook the padayatra during the BJP government. Today, he is the Chief Minister, and his friends are in power in Tamil Nadu. So, I request the CM to take this matter seriously and talk to his Tamil Nadu counterpart to find a solution that benefits both states. The interests of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu need to be considered," he said.

The developments come as the BJP central leadership has expressed strong displeasure over the cross-voting incident, with Vijayendra, Leader of Opposition R Ashoka, and state in-charge Radhamohan Das Agarwal summoned to New Delhi on June 23. According to sources, at least 11 NDA MLAs in Karnataka indulged in cross-voting during the MLC polls, a development that has left the party's top leadership upset.

Congress, which has 135 MLAs, polled 151 votes in the election, with all five of its candidates declared elected in the first round. The BJP won two seats, while the JD(S) candidate lost. The BJP has 64 MLAs, but its two candidates together secured only 56 votes, a shortfall of eight. JD(S) has 18 MLAs, but its candidate got only 14 votes. As part of the NDA arrangement, the BJP had assigned three of its MLAs to vote for the JD(S) candidate, taking the JD(S) tally to 21. Yet the JD(S) ended up with just 14, seven votes short.

The results indicated cross-voting from both the BJP and JD(S) ranks. (ANI)