BJP summons its Kashmir legislators (Second Lead)

April 15th, 2011 - 10:40 pm ICT by IANS  

Bharatiya Janata Party New Delhi/Jammu, April 15 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari has summoned all 11 party legislators from Jammu and Kashmir here April 19 to decide on their resignations secured after cross-voting in the legislative council elections.

“The BJP has taken the matter very seriously. Resignations of all MLAs have been taken which are addressed to the (assembly) speaker,” party’s chief spokesperon Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

He said the MLAs have owned up moral responsibility for the cross-voting and that the party president will take a final call on the resignations after the meeting.

BJP general secretary J.P. Nadda arrived in Jammu Thursday evening to take stock of the situation after the cross-voting in Wednesday’s council elections.

Nadda told reporters that the matter was deliberated at a meeting and it was felt that all the 11 party legislators should resign.

“The party feels hurt by what has happened and I think the national president will take a final view on it,” he said.

The BJP suffered a huge embarrassment after the cross-voting as people in Jammu who had voted for the party in large numbers in the 2008 assembly elections felt betrayed and demanded that the party members should quit their seats.

BJP leaders and workers Thursday protested against party legislators, staging a sit-in at the party office.

“Our sit-in will continue till the guilty MLAs are punished by the party’s national leadership,” said party leader Ramesh Arora.

There were several anti-BJP demonstrations across Jammu.

In Wednesday’s election, the National Conference won three council seats, the Congress two and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party one.

The BJP candidate, Ranjit Singh, polled only four votes.

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