Cross-Voting Jolts Major Alliances in Karnataka, Jharkhand Polls

Recent cross-voting incidents during Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand and Legislative Council polls in Karnataka have exposed significant internal fissures within both the INDIA bloc and the NDA. In Jharkhand, the NDA-backed independent candidate, Parimal Nathwani, secured a Rajya Sabha seat, benefiting from unexpected votes from the INDIA alliance, leading to the defeat of the Congress candidate, Pranav Jha. This outcome sparked accusations of disunity among INDIA bloc partners, including the RJD and CPI(ML). Conversely, in Karnataka's Legislative Council elections, the Congress unexpectedly gained an additional seat, capitalising on cross-voting from BJP and JD(S) legislators. The BJP has since launched an internal probe, summoning state leadership to address the defection within its ranks. These events highlight ongoing power struggles and underscore the volatile nature of legislative politics.