HD Kumaraswamy rejects reports about cross voting in Rajya Sabha polls as misinformation

|HT|

Janata Dal (Secular) or JD (S) leader HD Kumaraswamy on Friday rejected as misinformation reports that his party legislators will cross vote in the Rajya Sabha polls even as at least one of the has declared support for the Congress. “There was misinformation spread that our legislators will cross vote. Overall, our party is intact is the message that our legislators have given,” Kumaraswamy said. He said the support he received from the legislators in the run up to the polls has infused confidence in the party. Kumaraswamy added the unity will help the party reach its goal of securing the required 123 seats out of total 224 in next year’s assembly elections to form the government.

JD (S) legislators spent the night before the polls at a five-star hotel to thwart attempts of poaching.

In Karnataka, six candidates have filed their nominations for four seats. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has 121 legislators in the 244-member House, Congress 70 and the JD (S) 32. The BJP is comfortably poised to win two of the four seats and the Congress one. Both the BJP and the Congress have fielded an extra candidate for the fourth seat. The BJP’s nominees from Karnataka include Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman. A candidate needs 45 votes to win. The Congress has enough votes for former Union minister Jairam Ramesh.

The BJP has 32 surplus votes while the Congress at least 25. Of JD (S)’s 32 lawmakers, five are either expected to abstain or cross vote as they have indicated they will have to leave the party.

The Congress has appealed for the JD (S) lawmakers’ “vote of conscience” for its second candidate Mansoor Ali Khan. It has asked the JD(S) to save secularism and defeat communal forces. BJP leader and minster R Ashok said Congress does not have the numbers. “We have 90 second preference votes against 45 of Congress. They will keep talking about vote of conscience and our third candidate will win.”

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