BJP fact-finding panel submits report on Karnataka MLC poll cross-voting

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Jun 27, 2026: The BJP’s three-member fact-finding committee constituted to investigate alleged cross-voting by party MLAs during the recent Karnataka Legislative Council (MLC) elections submitted its report to state BJP president B. Y. Vijayendra on Saturday.

The committee, headed by senior MLC C. T. Ravi, completed its inquiry within four days. Speaking to reporters after submitting the report, Ravi said the panel had gathered information from multiple sources and identified areas where the party should have exercised greater internal vigilance.

"State BJP president Vijayendra formed a three-member internal fact-finding committee comprising myself, state vice-president N. Mahesh and MLA Mahesh Tenginakayi. We were asked to conduct an internal inquiry and submit the report at the earliest. After completing the investigation and deliberating among ourselves, we unanimously submitted the report," Ravi said.

He said the committee first held a virtual meeting to define the scope of the inquiry before preparing a list of individuals considered suspicious based on media reports and other available information. The panel then interacted with the concerned individuals, BJP candidates, JD(S) leaders, the Leader of the Opposition, and the opposition chief whip.

"We collected information from various sources, including the media, and assessed the available local inputs and circumstantial evidence before preparing the report," Ravi said.

Declining to reveal the findings, he said it would be inappropriate to disclose details as the report was meant solely for the state party president. He also refused to confirm whether the report identified those responsible for the alleged cross-voting.

Ravi said there were 12 instances of cross-voting by NDA legislators during the elections. According to him, the BJP lost four votes, including one invalid vote. Of the 30 votes allocated to the BJP’s two candidates, one secured 29 votes with one invalid vote, while the other received 27 votes, three fewer than expected. He added that the JD(S), which was expected to receive 22 votes, managed only 14, indicating a shortfall of eight votes.

Alleging that the ruling Congress orchestrated the cross-voting through "unethical means," Ravi said the party should not interpret the outcome as a sign of support from opposition legislators.

"When cross-voting occurred in other states, the Congress termed it undemocratic. By encouraging cross-voting here, it has undermined democratic values and has no moral authority to criticise similar incidents elsewhere," he said.

Ravi added that the report also highlights organisational lapses and areas where the BJP should strengthen its internal mechanisms. He said the party’s core committee and state president would decide the next course of action.

In the June 18 Karnataka Legislative Council elections, the ruling Congress won five of the seven seats, while the BJP secured two. The JD(S) failed to win the lone seat it contested. The results indicated cross-voting by BJP and JD(S) legislators in favour of Congress candidates, with the Congress receiving 151 votes—11 more than its expected tally of 140.