Cross-voting in Prez poll: Yeddyurappa blames BJP leadership

Bangalore, Jul 24: Former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa believes that some

legislators would not have cross-voted in

during the Presidential elections had the ruling party's leaders taken the right decision earlier.

All 119 MLAs of BJP in the state were supposed to vote for the NDA-backed candidate PA Sangma on Jul 22 but he received only 103 votes in all.

As 71 MLAs belonging to the Congress party and 26 of JD(S) exercised their franchise in favour of UPA nominee along with six Independents, Pranab's tally was expected to be the same.

Yet, it became clear after the counting that as many as 117 MLAs had voted for the latter. This meant Pranab had benefited from cross-voting by 14 BJP legislators.

The ruling party therefore initiated an inquiry and warned of strict action against those who defied its line. However, there is little chance of the 14 MLAs being suspended since the state is scheduled to go to the polls in a few months.

Nevertheless, Yeddyurappa stressed yesterday that the BJP leadership should have backed Pranab instead of Sangma. "All parties should have come together and there should have been a thinking to elect him (Pranab) unanimously but because of lack of foresight, difference in opinion and other reasons, the election became inevitable," Yeddyurappa noted.

He also offered gratuitous advice to Sangma who is mulling whether to challenge Pranab's election in the courts. "I appeal to Sangma ... not to resort to such a misadventure. The world is watching us. It does not bring pride to anybody," Yeddyurappa said.

OneIndia News