Stung by unexpected cross-voting from its flock in the Presidential poll, the ruling BJP in Karnataka today said it has decided to form a committee to go into the issue that has again brought out the simmering factionalism in the State unit.
“There are doubts that 14 BJP MLAs have cross-voted. We will soon set up a committee to probe the matter and identify those who indulged in it”, Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar told reporters on the sidelines of a function in Bangalore.
The party had taken the issue “seriously”, Mr Shettar said, a day after the Presidential polls, in which UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee received 117 votes in the State while NDA-backed P A Sangma mustered 103 votes in the 224-member Assembly. Three votes were invalid while one MLA did not vote.
Mr Shettar said the State party President K S Eswarappa, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister, has announced a committee to probe the cross-voting and action would be taken after getting its report.
He, however, refused to comment whether the BJP will issue a whip to its members during the voting on finance bills in the on-going Assembly budget session to avert a similar situation.
Mr Shettar, who recently took over as Chief Minister after renewed dissidence, is himself now facing rebellion by a section of MLAs who are unhappy over the denial of ministerial berths to them.
