Rajya Sabha polls: Seven 'rebel' JD-S MLAs who voted for Congress in Karnataka quit party

The seven 'rebel' JD-S MLAs will reportedly join the Congress party on Sunday.

Bengaluru: Seven Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) lawmakers in Karnataka on Saturday resigned from the party, a day after claiming that they voted for the Congress candidate in the crucial Rajya Sabha polls, the results of which were declared on Friday.

The seven JD-S MLAs will reportedly join the Congress on Sunday.

Among those who quit the party are - BZ Zaheer Ahmed Khan, R Akhanda Srinivas Murthy, N Chaluvaraya Swamy, Iqbal Ansari, HC Balakrishna, Ramesh Bandi Siddegowda and Bheema Naik.

JD-S state spokesman Ramesh Babu confirmed to reporters that all seven have resigned from the party.

These legislators, who were earlier suspended by the JD-S for defying the party's whip and cross-voting for Congress during the 2016 Rajya Sabha polls, claimed to have voted in favour of third Congress candidate GC Chandrasekhar on Friday.

The seven rebel JD-S legislators also tendered their resignations to Assembly Speaker KB Koliwad.

"The four MLAs from JD-S have resigned of their own volition. Their resignations have been accepted," Koliwad told the media here.

The legislators said they will join Congress on Sunday in Mysuru in presence of party president Rahul Gandhi, who is currently on a two-day visit to the state.

"We will be joining the Congress on Sunday in presence of Gandhi and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah," Swamy, an MLA from Nagamangala assembly segment of Mandya district told reporters here.

Khan is a three-time MLA from Chamrajpet assembly constituency, Murthy represents Pulakeshinagar assembly segment in north-east Bengaluru and Ansari, the Gangavathi constituency in Koppal district.

Balakrishna, Bandisiddegowda and Naik are respectively the MLAs from Magadi constituency in Ramanagara district, Srirangapatna constituency in Mandya district and Hagaribommanahalli constituency in Ballari district.

(With IANS inputs)