JD(S) issues whip for RS elections

Bangalore, Mar 27 (UNI) The Janata Dal (Secular) today issued a whip to all its legislators to cast their first preference vote in favour of the party's official candidate M Rajashekhara Murthy in tomorrow's biennial elections to Rajya Sabha from Karnataka.

Party Spokesman Y S V Datta informed newspersons here that a joint meeting of the JD(S) Legislature Party in the Assembly and Council, under the leadership of former deputy chief minister M P Prakash, decided to issue the whip. The decision was communicated to all the 57 party Legislators, he added.

Earlier, suspended JD(S) leader Siddaramaiah had declared that he would defy any whip issued by the JD(S)LP and vote for eminent litterateur Dr U R Ananthamurthy. The All India Progressive Janata Dal (AIPJD) leader, despite parting ways with the JD(S) leadership, technically remained a JD(S) member in the House. According to existing laws, the Siddaramaiah camp, comprising nine MLAs, would attract disqualification if they violated the party whip.

Stating that the MLAs would be asked to show their ballot papers to the party election agents before casting their votes, Mr Datta said once it was established that 47 party Legislators had cast their votes in favour of Mr Murthy, the rest would be directed to vote for independent candidate Rajeev Chandrashekhar.

He said the party had requested the six independent MLAs supporting JD(S) to vote in favour of Mr Chandrashekhar.

The newly-elected JD(S) Parliamentary Board Chairman D Manjunath, Political Affairs Committee Chairman Mirajuddin Patel and Mr Murthy were present in the JD(S)LP meeting.

Later speaking to reporters here, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy exuded confidence that the JD(S)-BJP combine supported candidates -- Mr Murthy, Mr K B Shanappa (BJP) and Mr Chandrashekhar -- would sail through the elections.

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