Invalid votes fuel speculations in parties

Sadananda Gowda won the poll by securing 123 votes against 69 obtained by Anand Gaddedevaramath of the Congress. The 26-member JD(S) group abstained. As there was a secret ballot system, there is no way of ascertaining who voted for whom. But several scenarios emerge.

Of the seven invalid votes, one can be confirmed to be that of Kalakappa Bandi. Election officers declared Bandi’s vote invalid after the latter showed his ballot paper to Gowda, after marking his vote.

In all, BJP had 121 votes including that of the Speaker and nominated member. Gowda claimed he had the support of six independents. So, Gowda’s tally should have been 127. However, he secured only 123 votes. Assuming there was no cross-voting, this would mean that the votes of four BJP MLAs or independents, including Bandi, were invalid.

Congress with 71 MLAs secured only 69 votes. Again assuming there was no cross voting, this means the votes of two Congress MLAs were invalid. Sriramulu, who soon after his victory in the Bellary rural bypoll had threatened to defeat Gowda, remained tightlipped on his support.

Six votes declared invalid followed a pattern. The votes were declared invalid as the members had marked their first preferential vote for Gowda and had marked a ‘tick’ or ‘check’ against Gowda’s name.

Could it be a coincidence that all six votes are invalidated for the same reason?

One speculation is that all six votes invalidated came from a group in BJP/independents.
Congress sources feel there could be three to four black sheep who cross-voted. Their votes added to Gowda’s tally and may have compensated for the six invalid votes.

If not for the cross-voting, Gowda’s tally would have been even less, the sources said. But the question remains as to who Sriramulu voted for. So also the BJP MLAs from Bellary.