8 rebel JD-S lawmakers face suspension for cross-voting in RS poll

Bengaluru, June 11: Eight ‘rebel’ lawmakers of the Jata Dal-Secular (JD-S) face suspension from the regiol party for ‘cross-voting’ in the biennial election to the four Rajya Sabha seats from Kartaka on Saturday, a party spokesman said. “Eight of our MLAs (lawmakers) face suspension for defying the party’s whip and cross voting in favour of the Congress candidate (K.C. Ramamurthy) instead of voting for our official nominee B.M. Farook, who lost the contest,” JD-S spokesman Ramesh Babu told reporters here after polling ended. JD-S supremo and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda has called for a meeting of the party’s legislators on Sunday here to discuss the poll fallout and act against the rebel lawmakers. “Action will be taken against them (rebels) in accordance with the provisions in the party’s constitution,” Babu asserted. Among the prominent rebel lawmakers are Zameer Ahmed Khan from Chamrajpet assembly segment in Bengaluru, N. Cheluvaraswamy from Mandya and H.C. Balakrish of Magadi near Bengaluru.  (IANS)