Cross-Voters Will Be Punished: BJP’s R Ashoka After Panel Submits Interim Report | Exclusive
Cross-Voters Will Be Punished: BJP’s R Ashoka After Panel Submits Interim Report | Exclusive Reported By, Last Updated: June 28, 2026, 15:58 IST According to
Cross-Voters Will Be Punished: BJP’s R Ashoka After Panel Submits Interim Report | Exclusive Reported By, Last Updated: June 28, 2026, 15:58 IST According to party sources, the report identifies three MLAs suspected of cross-voting and one invalid vote Rapid Read Leader of the Opposition in Karnataka Assembly and senior BJP leader R Ashoka. (PTI File) The Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has signalled strict disciplinary action against legislators accused of cross-voting in the recent Legislative Council elections, with Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka, in an exclusive interview, telling CNN-News18 that those responsible “will not contest the next election". His remarks came after BJP MLC CT Ravi, who is part of the party’s three-member committee constituted to investigate the cross-voting, submitted an interim report to the BJP leadership. According to party sources, the report identifies three MLAs suspected of cross-voting and one invalid vote, while detailing the sequence of events leading up to the election and the committee’s preliminary findings. The report is expected to be examined by the party’s central leadership before disciplinary action is initiated. Speaking exclusively to CNN-News18, Ashoka said he was yet to study the report but made it clear that the BJP viewed the matter as a serious breach of party discipline. “I have not seen CT Ravi’s report yet. He called me this morning and informed me that he had submitted it. I will go through the report. The High Command is taking this issue very seriously. We have already gathered information about those responsible for the cross-voting," Ashoka said.
Without naming the legislators, Ashoka accused a handful of MLAs of damaging the party’s image. “Three or four mischievous MLAs have brought a bad name to the Karnataka BJP. We will not spare them. We will teach them a lesson in the history of politics. They will not contest the next election," he said. The BJP was left embarrassed after suspected cross-voting during the Legislative Council elections despite issuing a whip to all its legislators. Asked what had gone wrong, Ashoka admitted that the leadership itself was caught by surprise. “We were also surprised by the cross-voting. Even Basanagouda Patil Yatnal came to my office around 12:30 pm and assured me that he would vote according to the party’s direction. Now C.T. Ravi has submitted the report. We will examine it and send it to the High Command. Within a day or two, it will become clear who the cross-voters are," he said. However, Ashoka indicated that the BJP was unlikely to immediately disclose the names of those identified in the report. “That is our strategy. We have to decide what action to take first. If we make the names public immediately, we have to consider whether it will benefit them or the BJP. We will decide accordingly," he said. Ashoka also revealed that the issue figured prominently during his recent visit to New Delhi along with Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra, where the two leaders briefed the party’s central leadership on the developments. “The central leadership had already received information from other sources. They told us not to worry.
The BriefWire