JD (S) to seek strong action against two MLAs for cross voting in Rajya Sabha polls

Srinivas Gowda from Kolar and SR Srinivas from Gubbi had voted for the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in June 10 elections, in which the sole JD (S) candidate Kupendra Reddy lost.

The Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S) said on Sunday that it would write to the Karnataka assembly speaker to impose a life-long disqualification and ban on two of its legislators for cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha elections.

The Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S) said on Sunday that it would write to the Karnataka assembly speaker to impose a life-long disqualification and ban on two of its legislators for cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha elections. (PTI)

Srinivas Gowda from Kolar and SR Srinivas from Gubbi had voted for the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in June 10 elections, in which the sole JD (S) candidate Kupendra Reddy lost.

“We are initiating action and writing to the speaker to get them a life-long disqualification,” CM Ibrahim, the state JD (S) president told HT on Sunday.

The party issued a show-cause notice to the duo soon after the elections and is awaiting their reply before taking further action, JD (S) MLC and official spokesperson TA Sharavana said.

“We have issued a show-cause notice to both legislators but they have not given us any clarification so far. We are fighting to get them disqualified at least for six years and ban them from contesting elections,”

The statements come two days after the two legislators had defied the party whip, casting their ballot to the two national parties.

“I have voted Congress, and I love it,” Gowda had told a news channel on Friday, which went viral on social media.

SR Srinivas or Gubbi Srinivas denied that he cast an empty ballot paper, as alleged by senior JD (S) leader HD Kumaraswamy, or voted in favour of the BJP.

JD(S) had an outside chance of winning a seat in the Rajya Sabha elections had all its legislators voted for Kupendra Reddy, and Congress had supported its bid.

Reddy secured just 30 votes against the required 45 votes, which led to his defeat.

The rivalry between JD(S) and Congress was rekindled after the Rajya Sabha polls, indicating a bitter three-way fight in the 2023 assembly elections.

“There is no need to ask for any clarification from them since we have it on record that they have voted for the two national parties,” Ibrahim said.

The BJP managed to win three out of the seats to the upper house from the state. Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman secured 46 votes, Jaggesh got 44 and Lahar Singh Siroya secured 33 first preference votes. Jairam Ramesh of the Congress won the fourth and final seat with 46 votes, while the party’s second-choice candidate Mansoor Ali Khan got 21 votes.

Kumaraswamy had lashed out at the Congress for first trying to seek its support in the name of secularism and then handing BJP an easy victory.

Though there are at least five legislators from the JD(S), who have openly stated to leave the party, most of them cast votes in favour of their party, except Gowda and SR Srinivas.

Ibrahim also alleged that DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah got the two legislators to vote for the two national parties and sought to know if Sonia Gandhi, the Congress president, would dissolve its outfit for these violations.

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