Krishnaraja MLA T.S. Srivatsa has alleged that members of his own party were behind a conspiracy to falsely accuse him of casting an invalid vote during the recent elections to the Legislative Council.

Speaking to reporters in Mysuru on Saturday, Mr. Srivatsa said false rumours have been spread claiming that the vote cast by him in the elections was declared invalid.

Referring to a report appearing in a section of the media, the BJP MLA alleged that it was part of a systematic conspiracy. “I am not so immature that I would not be able to cast my vote properly. I have exercised my vote with due discretion and understanding,” he said.

Though he did not name anyone, Mr. Srivatsa said that members of his own party had conspired against him and got a newspaper to publish a report against him along with his photograph. He said he had brought these developments to the notice of the party leadership at both the State and national levels.

Concerning allegations of cross-voting, the BJP MLA said the party had taken the allegations seriously and had constituted a committee to identify the MLAs, who had betrayed the party.

The newly elected MLC, Raghu Kautilya, who was felicitated at a function organised at the BJP office in Mysuru on Saturday, accused the Congress of indulging in horse-trading during the Legislative Council elections.

While expressing hope that the MLAs who had cross-voted in the election would be identified, Mr. Raghu thanked the party for recognising leaders from extremely backward communities like him and giving them such opportunities.

“Although I had lost the Council election twice earlier, the party has now made me an MLC,” he said.

Mysuru MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, who was also present at the function to felicitate Mr. Raghu, ruled out the possibility of cross-voting affecting the BJP’s ties with the JD(S), whose candidate, Govindaraju, lost the election. He expressed confidence that the party would identify the MLAs who had cross-voted.

He said such incidents are not uncommon when another party is in power.

“These kinds of developments are part of the political process and occur from time to time. There is nothing particularly embarrassing or politically damaging about the episode,” he said.