Rajya Sabha polls: Setback for BJP-JD(S) in Karnataka as MLA S T Somashekar cross-votes

The BJP and the Janata Dal (Secular) coalition on Tuesday suffered a jolt in the Rajya Sabha elections as some from within its ranks voted for the Congress candidates. Amid cross-voting, JD(S) candidate and real estate businessman D Kupendra Reddy stands to lose out on an Upper House berth.

One of the leaders who, it is learnt, cross-voted is former minister S T Somashekar. There was also an apprehension in the party ranks of former minister Shivaram Hebbar voting against the coalition’s candidate. The BJP pasted a copy of the party whip, directing Hebbar to vote for the coalition candidates, outside his room at the Vidhana Soudha. In the Rajya Sabha polls, MLAs retain their freedom to vote for a candidate of their choice.

Ahead of polling, Somashekar told reporters that he would cast a “vote of conscience” for a candidate who would provide grants to his Yeshwanthapura constituency. “I will cast the first preference vote for the candidate who promises funds for the constituency,” he said. After Somashekar’s cross-voting, BJP leaders led by under Leader of the Opposition R Ashok held a meeting and are said to have decided to take action against him.

Both Somashekar and Hebbar were earlier with the Congress and jumped ship to the BJP in 2019, when the Congress-JD(S) government was toppled after a section of their legislators rebelled. The talk of Somashekar and Hebbar returning to the Congress fold has been around since last year.

By 3.45 pm, almost all the 223 legislators had cast their votes. Voting is scheduled to end at 4 pm. Apart from Congress legislators, three Independent MLAs are also learnt to have voted for the party. Another MLA Janardhan Reddy of the Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha said he had also cast a “vote of