JDS-Congress bickering helps BJP win 3rd Rajya Sabha seat

Bengaluru: The ruling BJP won all three seats it contested in Rajya Sabha elections held on Friday as the opposition JD-S and Congress failed to agree on a common candidate to clinch another seat.

While the Congress won the remaining one seat, the JD-S candidate was defeated.

BJP candidates were Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, film actor-turned-politician Jaggesh and former MLC Leher Singh, while the Congress had fielded former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh and Mansoor Ali Khan, but only the former won.

JD-S' Kupendra Reddy, the richest candidate to be in the fray, went down in defeat.

Jubilant BJP leaders congregated at the party office and felicitated the victorious candidates. Sitharaman distributed sweets to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, his predecessor B.S. Yediyurappa, BJP national General Secretary C.T. Ravi and others.

Bommai said that as per the planning and strategy of the party, all 3 candidates from the BJP have won. "I thank all the MLAs for voting for the BJP," he said.

Ravi said that the party's strategy has worked. "I thank everyone for supporting the BJP. Congress and JD-S MLAs have voted for us. The support has come from tall leaders of the party, but I can't take their names," he claimed.

According to sources, Sitharaman had got 46 first priority votes, and Jaggesh 44 first priority votes and 32 second priority votes to emerged victorious. Meanwhile, Leher Singh garnered 33.17 first priority votes and second preferential votes of 90 MLAs to win.

The BJP was expected to win 2 seats, and the Congress one, while the fourth seat was expected to see a tough contest among all three parties as all had put up their candidates.Meanwhile, JD-S MLA K. Srinivas Gowda from Kolar district proclaimed that he voted for the Congress candidate.

"I love the Congress and in this background, I have cast my vote for Congress candidate. I was with the Congress earlier and I am rejoining the party soon," he said. "Former CM H.D. Kumaraswamy had not asked me to cast a vote for the JD-S candidate," he claimed.

Kumaraswamy, lashing out at Gowda, said that if he had any respect, he should resign as MLA and continue in politics.

"This is an insult to the people of Kolar. There is no use of the action initiated against it in connection with cross voting. There is no law in the country to punish legislators who indulge in cross voting," he added.Claiming that there is no difference between the Congress and the BJP, he accused the Congress leaders have ensured cross voting of 8 MLAs on earlier occasions. "What have you (Congress leaders) got from this? This is being done to ensure victory for the BJP candidate," he said.The JD-S and Congress leaders had earlier indulged in verbal duel in connection with withdrawing their candidates from the elections. Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah, of the Congress, had even written a letter to all JD-S MLAs to support the Congress candidates.