Red-faced senior central leaders of BJP on Monday summoned former chief minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda to quiz him about cross-voting by his supporters, a move which helped Mr Pranab Mukherjee garner 14 more votes than NDA nominee P.A. Sangma in the Presidential polls.
Sources in the party told Deccan Chronicle that leaders in New Delhi are in shock after they learnt the ever smiling Mr Gowda has emerged as the rebel in the ranks and that he had instigated his supporters like municipal administration minister Balachandra Jarkiholi to vote for the Congress-led UPA candidate Mr Mukherjee.
Though the former chief minister has repeatedly stated that he was a loyal soldier of the party, he is alleged to have encouraged groupism, held hush-hush meetings with his supporters from the time he was asked to step down and make way for Mr Jagadish Shettar. Though some of them were suspected of cross-voting during last month’s polls to the Legislative Council, the former chief minister was upset that they were not given plum portfolios, including revenue, in the new ministry, the sources added.
Mr. Gowda, scheduled to leave for Delhi on Tuesday, has also invited the wrath of former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa by announcing that Mr Jagadish Shettar would lead the party in next year’s polls to the Legislative Assembly. The former chief minister and his supporters have complained against Mr Gowda to senior leaders in Delhi.