Banglore : The BJP is treating the cross-voting that took place during last week’s Karnataka Legislative Council elections as a serious issue. The party is not only looking into who was responsible but is also reviewing its alliance with JD(S) and its future strategy in Karnataka.
A fact-finding team led by senior BJP leader CT Ravi is investigating the matter and will soon submit its report. After reviewing the report, the party is expected to take action against those responsible. However, BJP leaders believe that punishment alone will not solve the problem. The leadership is unhappy with the internal sabotage and wants to prevent such incidents in the future.
In the elections, Congress won five of the seven Legislative Council seats, increasing its strength from 34 to 39 members. BJP won only two seats, reducing its tally to 29. JD(S) failed to win its only seat and now has just six members in the Council. Congress had enough votes in the 224-member Karnataka Assembly to win four seats. However, cross-voting within the BJP-JD(S) alliance helped Congress win a fifth seat as well.
A review meeting was recently held in Delhi and attended by Karnataka BJP leaders, including state president BY Vijayendra, Opposition leader R Ashoka, and other senior party leaders. According to sources, BJP leaders informed the central leadership that 11 NDA legislators did not vote as expected. Four BJP votes were wasted, one vote was declared invalid, and at least three BJP MLAs reportedly cross-voted.
The loss of JD(S) candidate Govindaraju has become a key issue in the party’s review. Although JD(S) has 18 MLAs in the Assembly, the candidate received only 14 first-preference votes. BJP had asked four of its MLAs to support the JD(S) candidate, but he still lost. This has raised questions about how well BJP and JD(S) can transfer votes to each other during elections.
Sources said BJP leaders in Delhi are now discussing whether JD(S) still has the same political importance it once had. Some leaders felt that fielding a third JD(S) candidate was a mistake because the alliance did not have enough votes to ensure victory. There is also a growing belief within BJP that JD(S) has lost some of its influence among Vokkaliga voters, who have traditionally supported the party.
BJP leaders are closely watching political changes among the Vokkaliga community. They believe that Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has helped Congress gain support among these voters, especially in the Old Mysuru region, which was once considered a stronghold of JD(S). As a result, BJP is now debating whether it should continue depending on alliances or focus on expanding its own support base.
According to sources, the party is planning to strengthen its traditional Lingayat support while reaching out more to Other Backward Classes (OBCs). BJP is also looking at opportunities among Kuruba voters. Some BJP leaders believe that if there is a leadership change involving Siddaramaiah, it could create dissatisfaction among Kuruba voters and open new political opportunities for the party.
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