Lok Shakti May Force Cross Voting

The ruling Janata Dal and Congress apprehend cross voting in the biennial polls to seven seats of the state Legislative Council as a Lok Shakti candidate remains in the fray.

The members of the state Assembly would elect seven members to the Upper House of the legislature on May 8. Lok Shakti candidate V S Ugrappa has remained in the fray forcing polls though his party does not have any MLA in the 224 strong House.

With a strength of 116, the ruling Janata Dal with its associates could safely win four seats and hence has decided to withdraw its fifth candidate from the fray. The party had originally decided to field K H Srinivasa, political secretary to the Chief Minister, as its fifth nominee but kept him out of the fray to save itself the embarrassment of seeing cross voting.

A candidate needs 28 first preference votes to win in the first round. BJP which has 36 MLAs has decided to contest one seat and offer 9 surplus votes to its ally, Lok Shakti. Ramakrishna Hegde`s non political forum, Rashtriya Navanirmana Vedike (RNNV) has seven MLA`s to take the tally for Lok Shakti` Ugrappa to 16. He needs votes from some Dal and Independent MLAs to win the seat.

The Congress has 40 members but has taken a calculated risk by fielding two candidates. The second candidate, Rani Satish, a Lingayat, hopes to get 12 votes from Dal and others. A section of Congress was opposed to taking the risk by fielding a second candidate and had urged the high command to accept the JD offer to have a tie up to ensure four seat for the Dal and one each for the Congress and BJP without going into a contest while supporting an Independent for the seventh seat.

When talks broke down between the JD and Congress, Lok Sshakti took the opportunity and fielded Ugrappa, a backward class leader originally from the JD. This decision forced JD to withdraw its fifth nominee but the Congress stuck to its decision to field two candidates though it needed 11 first preference votes from JD and other parties.

I will sail through without any hitch, Ugrappa told Business Standard. Party sources maintained that some Congress and Janata Dal MLA`s have assured support as they are upset with the attitude of the party leadership.

Irrespective of the final outcome on May 8, the entry of Lok Shakti`s Ugrappa has added a dramatic touch to the poll scene and the task of holding the flock together could be difficult for both the JD and the Congress, said a senior cabinet minister in the J H Patel government.