BJP, JD(S) suspend MLAs for cross voting in RS polls

Lucknow: BJP on Sunday suspended its MLA from Gorakhpur Rural Vijay Bahadur Yadav for cross voting during Rajya Sabha biennial polls.

MLA Vijay Bahadur Yadav has been suspended by the party from Legislature group for cross voting during Rajya Sabha elections, an official release said in Lucknow.

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"I have recommended the state unit chief to take action against Yadav as his act comes under voluntary anti-defection law," Leader of BJP in UP Assembly Suresh Khanna said.

The MLA had cross voted in favour of a Samajwadi Party candidate on Saturday.

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"I voted on the basis of development done by the Chief Minister and I am ready to make any sacrifice," he said.

Khanna said that acceptability of BJP was increasing as candidates backed by it got 54 votes in Rajya Sabha elections.

Meanwhile, Janata Dal (Secular) suspended its eight MLAs over allegations of cross voting in the Rajya Sabha elections.

The JD (S) suffered a humiliating blow with eight of its MLAs cross voting in favour of the Congress.

Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Congress' Jairam Ramesh, Oscar Fernandes and K.C. Ramamurthy on Saturday won the Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka in the biennial elections.

In a loss of face, eight JD(S) MLAs defied the party whip voting against party candidate businessman B M Farooq and supported Congress. Farooq secured 33 votes against the party's strength of 40.

Out of the 58 seats that fell vacant in the Upper House this summer, the NDA has now won 23, improving upon the 18 seats it held earlier. The Congress, which held 15 of these seats, now has nine.