Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Feb 17: The BJP has issued whip to the BJP MLAs asking them to vote for the party candidate from the assembly constituency to the council Laxman Savadi. They have been asked to vote for deputy chief minister Savadi, who is seeking to be elected to the council after facing defeat in the last assembly election, and then attend the joint session of the legislature today.

At a meeting held on Sunday night at a hotel in the city, chief minister, B S Yediyurappa,as well as state BJP president and MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, issued specific directions to the legislators. They told the MLAs to exercise their franchise on Monday morning itself before attending the session.

The legislators were also told to actively take part in discussions during the session. New ministers were directed to come prepared with statistics relating to their departments. The partymen were also asked to counter the accusations which the opposition might make against the government. It was also decided to resist efforts if any the opposition parties might make to disrupt the governor's address. Yediyurappa asked the MLs to come up with suggestions for the budget planned to be presented on March 5.

98 MLAs including the newly inducted ministers were present at the meeting. It is said that some of the absentees had obtained prior permission for their absence.

Chief whip of the assembly V Sunil Kumar, said that a whip has been issued for the election for the lone council membership, and the BJP MLAs have been asked to cast their vote in the morning before attending the joint session.