JDS hopes for cross-voting by BJP MLAs; backs independent

Hoping for cross-voting by "disgruntled" BJP MLAs, the JDS is backing an independent candidate who might also be supported by the Congress in the February 17 Legislative Council election which deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi has to win to retain his post.

The JDS, headed by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, is keen to take advantage of "dissidence" in the BJP after none of the party hopefuls figured in the Cabinet expansion on Thursday.

The BJP with 116 seats (minus Speaker) has a majority in the Karnataka legislative Assembly, whose members elect the MLC.

The JDS is backing independent candidate Anil Kumar, who was previously with the Congress, and intends to seek the support of Sonia Gandhi-led party too for him.

If both the parties come together, their number would touch 102.

"The JDS is anticipating cross-voting by the disgruntled BJP legislators," a party leader said.

On Thursday when 10 new ministers were being sworn in at the Raj Bhavan, Anil Kumar walked into the Karnataka Legislative Assembly Secretariat at the Vidhana Soudha with JDS leader and former minister H D Revanna to file his nomination papers to contest the legislative council.

"We need to have a discussion, after which we will finalise," the state Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao told PTI when asked if the Congress would extend him its support.

Rao also made it clear that there is no question of supporting the BJP candidate and even agreed that Kumar had worked in Congress earlier but he said his party leaders would deliberate on the next course of action.

Savadi, who lost the Assembly election, was hoping to win the MLC election unopposed.

He allegedly played a "key role" in bringing down the Congress-JDS coalition governement facilitating the installation of the B S Yediyurappa regime and was rewarded with Deputy Chief Minister's post last August.

He has to become a member of the either House within six months from then.

The BJP is confident about Savadi's victory.

Its spokesperson G Madhusudan said, "We have a majority in the Karnataka Assembly. Let them (JDS and the Congress) try their luck."