FM Sitharaman wins RS seat from Karnataka, BJP says help came from other parties too

Rajya Sabha election in Karnataka: Besides Sitharaman, actor-politician Jaggesh and member of legislative council Lehar Singh Siroya have also won. Congress' Jairam Ramesh won from the fourth seat in contention.

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman won as the BJP's candidate from Karnataka, the party's national general secretary CT Ravi said on Friday.

File photo of BJP Rajya Sabha candidates Nirmala Sitharaman, Jaggesh and Lehar Singh Siroya with former Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa.

Besides Sitharaman, actor-politician Jaggesh and member of legislative council Lehar Singh Siroya were also declared winners, Ravi said, adding they got more votes than the allotted ones as “people from the other parties helped us”.

According to available inputs, Congress candidate Jairam Ramesh won from the fourth seat up for grabs from the southern state, while none from the Janata Dal (Secular) failed to make the cut.

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Earlier in the day, it was reported that at least two lawmakers from the Janata Dal (Secular) or JD (S) cross-voted for the BJP in the Rajya Sabha.

JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy lashed out at the Congress and his party’s rebel lawmakers saying they subverted democracy. He also accused the rebels and Congress of cheating JD(S) workers.