Udupi - Chikkamagalur MP D. V. Sadananda Gowda was elected as the Chief Minister of Karnataka after the Legislators' Meet at Capitol Hotel opted for a secret ballot.

Sadananda Gowda polled 63 votes while Shettar got 55.

After the efforts of the Central Observers to bring in a consensus among the factions failed, they went for secret voting.

The meeting, earlier scheduled for 11 am, was deferred to 12 noon as none of the MLAs had reached the venue by 11.15 am.

At the meeting held under the presidentship of senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley, there was a divide over the mode of electing new CM. While Yeddyurappa's supporters were against a secret ballot, the rival faction emphasised on secret voting.

Interestingly, two separate seating arrangements have been made for 118 Legislators.

Independent MLA Varthur Prakash was not allowed to vote as he is not a BJP member.

MLA Prahlad (hospitalised) and Speaker K. G. Bopaiah were absent.

Minister S. Suresh Kumar and Tumkur MLA Sogadu Shivanna decided not to vote, saying they honoured whatever the decision of the High Command.

Jaitley inaugurated the Meet and offered floral tributes to the portrait of Bharat Mata.

Rajnath Singh, addressing the gathering, urged the Legislators to set aside their personal differences and opt for a consensus candidate in the larger interests of the party.

Fearing horse - trading and poaching of MLAs, the factions were holed up in different hotels in city. Those supporting D. V. Sadananda Gowda’s candidature were lodged in Chancery Hotel while the rival faction led by State BJP President K. S. Eshwarappa, supporting the candidature of Rural Development Minister Jagadish Shettar, stay put in Ashoka Hotel. Central Observers, namely senior BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and Dharmendra Pradhan were at Le Meridien hotel.

However, it is learnt that the Central Observers are under instructions from High Command that the two groups must come to a consensus, failing which they foresee a major divide in the State BJP.

Even as the MLAs were preparing to board buses from their hotels to Legislators' Meet venue at 11.10 am, former CM Yeddyurappa had left his Race Course Road residence and visited Raj Bhavan, where Justice Shivraj Patil assumed charge as new the Lokayukta. Dy Lokayukta Justice R. Gururajan also assumed charge.

Courtesy: Star of Mysore

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