165 MLAs, three MPs vote for Presidential election in K'taka

Bangalore, July 19 (UNI) In all 165 member MLAs, including the speaker of 224-member Karnataka Assembly and three MPs exercised their franchise in the Presidential elections here today.

According to sources at the end of the polling 85 members including Congressmen and their supporters voted from the opposition side while 79 legislators from the BJP group voted.

In a surprise development, Speaker Krishna, who was elected on Janata Dal (S) ticket, decided to cast his vote contrary to the party's decision to maintain equidistance from both the Congress and the BJP.

48 members belonging to the JD(S) stayed away from polling as per the party's decision. Eight other legislators supporting JD(S) also did not participate in the polling. Three BJP MLAs -- B C Mohan, Sunita Veerappa Gowda and Belur Gopalakrishna also did not vote.

The three members of Lok Sabha were film star and Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting M H Ambareeh, Manorama Madhwaraj and P V Mallikarjunaiah.

(Ed: pickup suitably from earlier series) UNI