“We will find out those legislators who cross-voted in the Council polls and punish them. I will take such strict measures that they will not be able to fight any election in the future,” Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly and BJP leader R. Ashok said in Belagavi on Sunday.

He said that the party has taken the issue of cross-voting in the Council polls very seriously. “State party president B.Y. Vijayendra called me and we discussed the issue in detail. We are meeting in Bengaluru on Monday. I will also discuss with party seniors. We have suffered betrayal in the Council polls. We do not know which of our party legislators cross-voted for the Congress. We have sought time to discuss this issue with our high command. We will discuss the issue of cross-voting at the party forum and admonish the guilty. I will make sure that those who cross-voted will never be able to fight elections in their lifetime,” Mr. Ashok said.

“It is very clear that the Congress is involved in horse trading. It is not good for a ruling party to do that. When some Congress MLAs went to Mumbai in 2019, it is the same Congress leaders who called it horse trading. When Congress MLAs joined our party, they called it Operation Lotus. What have you done now? Are you not ashamed? This will be a turning point for the Congress in Karnataka. Its descent has begun,” he said.

He took objection to some media houses describing Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s political manoeuvres as Chanakya’s strategy.

“Did Chanakya indulge in horse trading? Did he purchase legislators? It is wrong to equate Mr. Shivakumar with Chanakya who was a statesman and advisor to kings,” Mr. Ashok said.