JD(S) expels 2 MLAs from party for cross voting in RS polls

The statements come almost two weeks after the two legislators turned their backs on the party to help the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party.

The Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S) on Wednesday expelled its two legislators, SR Srinivas and Srinivas Gowda, who cross-voted in the June 10 Rajya Sabha elections.

Former CM HD Kumaraswamy also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that the latter will now increase his visits to the state only for election-related works (AP)

“Kolar MLA K Srinivas Gowda and Gubbi legislator SR Srinivas who violated the party whip and cross voted in the Rajya Sabha elections have been expelled from the primary membership of the JD(S),” the party said in a statement.

The statements come almost two weeks after the two legislators turned their backs on the party to help the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The lone candidate of the JD(S), Kupendra Reddy, fell short of the 45-vote mark and the party missed a chance to send a representative to the upper house of Parliament.The decision to expel the two legislators was taken in the core-committee meeting of the JD(S) in Bengaluru.

The core-committee, headed by JD(S) leader Bandeppa Kashampur, also decided that it will write to the Karnataka legislative assembly speaker to remove both from the House under the anti-defection laws.

“Tomorrow (Thursday) or day after we will file a complaint with the speaker,” Kashampur said.

The decision to expel the two legislators comes as a big blow to the JD(S) and its tally in the lower house of the state legislature and possibly dents its chances further in the upcoming assembly polls next year, especially in the south Karnataka region where it draws most of its strength in terms of numbers.

The JD(S) has been blaming the state leadership of the Congress, especially Siddaramaiah, for the Rajya Sabha poll debacle.

Former CM HD Kumaraswamy also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that the latter will now increase his visits to the state only for election-related works but had ignored the state while giving out flood relief or addressing the corruption charges against the BJP government in the state.

“The lives of farmers have not improved in the last eight years. In the next 11 months, there will be elections in Karnataka and Modi may come to the state many more times. When Karnataka needed relief during the floods or Covid-19, no one came. The people have to think and take caution. The state government spent ₹32 crore for Modi’s one hour visit to the state (Bengaluru). This money could have helped an entire grama panchayati,”Kumaraswamy said.

Kumaraswamy also backed the central leadership of the Congress who he said were being harassed by the BJP under the guise of a probe. “In the name of Enforcement Directorate, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is being harassed. Do they need five days to conduct a probe? All documents will be with the ED and all the investigations could have been completed within half an hour,” the former chief minister of Karnataka said.