Karnataka BJP leaders summoned after cross-voting in MLC polls

New Delhi and Bengaluru: The BJP central leadership is unhappy over alleged cross-voting by party MLAs during the Karnataka Legislative Council elections held on June 18 and has summoned state leaders to explain the setback.

BJP national president Nitin Nabin has called Karnataka BJP chief B Y Vijayendra and Leader of Opposition R Ashoka to New Delhi on June 23 to submit a detailed report. State BJP in-charge Radha Mohan Das Agrawal will also attend the meeting.

The Karnataka BJP has constituted a three-member committee to identify legislators who may have cross-voted. The panel, comprising MLC C T Ravi, state vice-president N Mahesh and Hubballi-Dharwad Central MLA Mahesh Tenginkai, has been asked to submit its report by June 25.


"The BJP contested two MLC seats and both our candidates, Lingaraj Patil and Raghu R, won. Our ally JD(S) contested one seat and we transferred some of our votes, including all second-preference votes, to its candidate Govindaraju. Despite this, he lost. We are looking into the matter and will take appropriate action once we have the details," Agrawal told ET.

Vijayendra said the party expected to identify the legislators who cross-voted within the next few days. "We will know in three to four days who cross-voted against the party," he said, while alleging a "Congress conspiracy".