By IANS
Ranchi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jharkhand will soon call a meeting to identify legislators who voted in favour of United Progressive Alliance (UPA) candidate Pratibha Patil in the presidential polls.
Of the total 81 votes in the state, Patil secured 49 while the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) supported candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat got only 28 votes. Two votes were termed invalid.
The total number of UPA votes was 44 and it secured five more than its strength in the state. The NDA leaders suspect some Janata Dal-United legislators and suspended BJP legislators voted for UPA.
Patil defeated Shekhawat Saturday to become India's 13th president.
State BJP president P.N. Singh said: "We will soon call a meeting of the party and try to find out the legislators who voted in favour of UPA."
Pradeep Yadav, one of the suspended BJP legislators, said: "Some BJP legislators have done cross-voting and the party should work to keep the flock together."
Political experts point out that NDA's poor strategy led to cross voting in the state. NDA central leaders were busy in levelling allegations against Pratibha Patil instead of concentrating on the election strategy, they said.
BJP state leaders did not approach the five suspended legislators, and the NDA held a meeting just a day before the election to draw up its strategy. Only one legislator of JD-U attended the meeting.
The NDA also failed to establish contact with its other ally All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), which has two legislators. On the other hand, UPA began preparing for the polls early.
The victory has enthused the Congress. "The results indicate that NDA is falling apart in the state," said Pradep Balmuchu, the state Congress president.