Bengaluru, Feb 18: Deputy chief minister Laxman Savadi was elected to the legislative council on Monday and although it was a done deal that he would win, a vote from across the aisle spiced up the election.
Counting was conducted soon after ballots were cast and Savadi polled 113 of the 120 votes cast, including the vote of disgruntled JD(S) legislator GT Devegowda. Seven votes were declared invalid. Members of the two opposition parties — Congress and JD(S) — abstained from voting.
The election was necessitated following the resignation of Rizwan Arshad of the Congress. Rizwan resigned after he was elected to the legislative assembly from the Shivajinagar constituency in the assembly bypolls held for 15 seats in December last year.
BR Anil Kumar, who was initially promised the support of both Congress and JD(S) was supposed to contest as an independent candidate. However, as both parties refused to support him at the last minute, he withdrew, paving the way for Savadi’s victory.
The BJP has 117 members in the 225-member assembly, but N Mahesh of the BSP and two independents, H Nagesh and Sharath Bachchegowda, besides GT Devegowda also voted, taking the total electorate to 120 (including the speaker). BJP’s SA Ramadas did not turn up because of health reasons.
“I would like to thank all those who were responsible for my victory. Special thanks to leaders of my party and chief minister BS Yediyurappa, who gave me the opportunity to be the BJP candidate,” said Savadi.
Winning this council election was crucial for Savadi to retain his ministry as he was not an elected member of either of the houses. Rules mandate that a non-member must get elected either to the assembly or council within six months after taking over as minister. February 20 was the deadline for Savadi, who had lost 2018 assembly polls from Athani, to get elected.
Officials in the assembly secretariat said seven votes were invalid because voters had wrongly marked their choices on ballot paper. According to norms, a voter has to mark numerical one, two and three against the names of the candidates in order of preference. Marking only numerical one is allowed. However, six ballots had a tick mark, while a voter had registered a cross mark. Since it was a secret ballot, it was not known who the MLAs were whose votes were invalid.
“The ballot papers bear serial numbers and they are randomly distributed. It is virtually impossible to say who a voter cast his or her vote for,” said assembly secretary MK Vishalakashi, the retuning officer for the bypoll.
Comments
you comes only in the time of election. same like you did in past fooling innocent hindu brother by diverting to worship stone instead of real GOD.
your time is too near, you are the person from mangalore who also involved in baber masjid demolision.
you will never sucess, evils will root in hell forever.
In this scientific age still people believe proofless stories.
No proof at all in any form to support Ramayana story.
Though in the story of so said Ramayan, Ram's father king Dasharatha married 4wives,
where No so called religion permits to marry more than 1. This seems to be Dasharatha may be Muslim.
His children might be Muslims.
So naturally all followers of Ram should follow ISLAM.
In this scientific age still people believe proofless stories.
No proof at all in any form to support Ramayana story.
Though in the story of so said Ramayan, Ram's father king Dasharatha married 4wives,
where No so called religion permits to marry more than 1. This seems to be Dasharatha may be Muslim.
His children might be Muslims.
So all followers of Ram also have to be Muslim.
Add new comment