BJP Central Leadership Summons Karnataka Unit Over Cross-Voting Fiasco

BJP's central leadership convened a high-level meeting with its Karnataka unit to address the fallout from the Legislative Council elections, focusing on alleged cross-voting by NDA legislators and the role of alliance partner JD(S).

Amidst growing concerns over internal discipline within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Karnataka, the BJP's central leadership held a high-level meeting at the party headquarters in New Delhi on Tuesday to address the fallout from the recent Legislative Council elections. The meeting, chaired by BJP National President Nitin Nabin, was attended by top Karnataka unit leaders, including BJP state President BY Vijayandra, LoP R Ashok, state incharge Radha Mohan Das Aggarwal, and General Secretary (org) BL Santhosh.

The nearly 2.5-hour discussion centred on alleged cross-voting by NDA legislators that caused a major shortfall for the alliance in the June 18 polls. While the BJP won 2 seats, the coalition was embarrassed as Congress won 5 seats, 16 votes more than expected.

Focus on Cross-Voting Probe

According to the top BJP source, "a meeting that lasted nearly two-and-a-half hours focused extensively on the issue of alleged cross-voting during the Karnataka Legislative Council elections."

Sources indicate that the Karnataka leadership presented a list of approximately a dozen MLAs currently under suspicion. However, the party has exercised caution, noting that definitive action will only be taken following the submission of a formal report by the three-member committee headed by CT Ravi. The committee is tasked with investigating the matter thoroughly and is expected to submit its findings by June 25, 2026.

Role of Alliance Partner JD(S)

The meeting also discussed the role of alliance partner JD(S) in the election. BJP leaders informed the central leadership that JD(S) lacked the numbers required to ensure the victory of its candidate but chose to field one, ultimately resulting in a defeat.

According to sources, the BJP state leadership had held discussions with the JD(S) leadership ahead of the election and had advised against contesting the seat. Despite these concerns, JD(S) proceeded with its decision to field a candidate. Sources further said that BJP leaders had cautioned the JD(S) leadership about growing dissatisfaction among some of its MLAs. The issue had been flagged before the election, but the warnings were not acted upon, contributing to the eventual outcome. (ANI)

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