Fear of cross-voting appears in K’taka Rajya Sabha polls

With the fear of cross-voting Congress is vigilant and planning to isolate its members in a five-star hotel today. Deputy CM DK Shivakumar said that all 137 (down from 138 after Shorapur MLA Raja Venkatappa Naik’s death) MLAs have been summoned for a legislature party (CLP) meeting this evening on Monday. These MLAs will leave for the hotel then where the mock voting trial will be conducted to optimise the party’s vote count. It is planned that the MLAs will reach directly to the assembly on voting day.

It is to be noted that for Rajya Sabha polls Congress has fielded three candidates and there are four seats up for capture. For polls, candidates in the fray are five. BJP-JD(S) alliance has fielded 2 candidates.  With the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for February 27, the Congress has the absolute numbers to elect all its three candidates, and the saffron party has the strength to elect one member to the Rajya Sabha. However, the Janata Dal (Secular) needs the support of Congress and other independent candidates to win their seats. 

The saffron party has also fielded a candidate. A candidate needs 45 votes to win. The BJP has 20 votes after electing its candidate and these are likely to go to the JD(S) candidate Khupendra Reddy. JD(S) has 19 MLAs which means NDA nominee Reddy will face a deficit of seven votes. JD(S) and BJP are exploring options for getting the ruling Congress MLAs to cross-vote. For this, there is strong speculation that Reddy’s effort to sway Congress MLAs to secure additional support. However, to strengthen its chances the Congress party is eyeing defections from the saffron party and JD(S), if the opposition alliance manages to secure the required numbers.

Shivakumar has accused Kumaraswamy of making offers to Congress MLAs to buy votes. He said, “I know who is contacting whom and how they are threatening. Our MLAs have told us about the offers they are receiving. We know what BJP and JD(S) are planning. We have our strategy.”

However, Kumaraswamy said that “unhappy” Congress MLAs had contacted him. BJP with 66 MLAs has given the ticket to RSS member Narayana Krishnasa Bhandage. According to the source, two MLAs from the saffron party i.e., ST Somashekhar, and Shivaram Hebbar, and Sharangouda Kandakur from JD(S) are likely to support the Congress candidates in the Rajya Sabha elections.