Except 2, all K'taka MLAs vote in Prez poll

As many as 222 of the total 224 MLAs in the state exercised their franchise for the Presidential poll in Bengaluru on Monday.

Congress MP from Chikkodi Prakash B Hukkeri was the lone MP to vote at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, the venue for the poll in Karnataka, while other MPs from the state voted at Parliament House in New Delhi.

The absentee legislators were JD(S) rebel MLA N Cheluvarayaswamy, who is away in the United States, and YSV Datta of JD(S). Datta’s sister passed away in Kadur, Chikkamagaluru district, on Monday morning.

The three major parties — the Congress, the BJP and the JD(S) — held their respective legislature party meetings at the Vidhana Soudha in the morning before the commencement of the polling.

The Presidential election is witnessing a direct fight between the NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind and the Opposition nominee Meira Kumar. The JD(S) had announced that it will support Meira.

In Karnataka, the electoral college comprises 28 Lok Sabha members, 12 Rajya Sabha members and 224 MLAs. The value of each vote of an MP is 708, while that of an MLA from Karnataka is 131.

BJP MLAs were among the first to vote for electing the next President of India. Polling was held between 10 am and 5 pm at the committee room on the first floor of the Vidhana Soudha in the presence of observers from the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah arrived at the polling booth along with five of the seven JD(S) rebel MLAs — B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, M B Ramesh Bandisiddegowda,  H C Balakrishna,  Bhima Naik S and R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy. The JD(S) had suspended seven MLAs for cross-voting during the Rajya Sabha polls last year.

JD(S) members led by their state president H D Kumaraswamy voted soon after Siddaramaiah left the polling booth. 

Specially serial-numbered pens with violet ink were provided to the voters to ensure that only the writing instrument issued by the ECI is used by voters to mark their votes.

Hukkeri said he had opted to vote from his home state as a mark of tribute to the people of Karnataka who had elected him.

The Vidhana Soudha, which of late has been wearing a deserted look, was a beehive of activity on Monday. The corridors of power were crowded with people, many from other districts, who had made a beeline to the Vidhana Soudha knowing that the entire Cabinet and all the MLAs would be present for the Presidential poll.

Four MLAs arrive in wheelchairs

Four MLAs S R Vishwanth (BJP), Rudresh Gowda, Basavaraj Rayareddy and M H Ambareesh (all Congress) took the wheelchair route to the polling booth. While Gowda is suffering from a bout of illness, Vishwanath and Rayareddy recently suffered fracture in their legs after they slipped and fell. Ambareesh indulged in some dramatics much to the delight of onlookers.

Ambareesh who was walking into the Vidhana Soudha saw Rayareddy being helped from his wheelchair into his car.

Ambareesh then sat on the wheelchair and directed his gunman to wheel him to the polling booth. “Dari bidro” (make way), he shouted at the videographers capturing the drama.

At the polling booth, he got up, cast his vote and leaned on the ballot box posing for photographers, “photo thegiro” (take photo) he said. ECI officials cautioned him. He then asked his gunman to wheel him away.