BHOPAL: The BJP received a jolt before the assembly by-elections and in the Rajya Sabha polls on Friday.
BJP’s legislator from Guna, Gopilal Jatav, voted in favour of Congress candidate Digvijaya Singh. Jatav had to cast the first preference vote in favour of Jyotiraditya. Besides that, an MLA from Raigaon in Satna district, Jugal Kishore Bagri, wrongly cast his vote.
Instead of drawing straight line, Bagri drew slant line, and his vote was cancelled. The vote of a Congress legislator was also cancelled.
When the BJP leaders came to know about cross-voting by Jatav they dressed him down.
Jatav told Free Press that he had voted in favour of Digvijaya Singh by mistake.
Jatav said he had already spoken to the senior party leaders about it, and that the BJP is his mother, so the question of joining the Congress does not arise.
His vote went to the Congress by chance, and he had no other intentions.
According to the People’s Representative Act, violation of the party whip may lead to loss of House membership. But if the BJP Legislature Party does not raise the issue, Jatav will not lose membership.
Nevertheless, the cross-voting by BJP legislator may jolt the party. Two BJP legislators Narayan Tripathi and Sharad Kol voted for the Congress on a bill.
