The Bharatiya Janata Party’s DH Shankaramurthy on Thursday won a no-confidence vote in the Karnataka Legislative Council by a single vote after the Janata Dal (Secular) decided to back him instead of the Congress, PTI reported. Shankaramurthy had been accused of corruption and nepotism, and the Congress had sought a no-confidence motion to oust the incumbent chairman.

Of the 74 members, the Congress could only muster 36 votes in its favour, while BJP and JD(S) managed to win the motion by 37 votes. Besides the 12 members of the JD(S), the BJP also found support in two independents who voted against the motion. One seat in the legislative council has been vacant since the death of Vimala Gowda in April this year.

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Congress MLC VS Ugrappa had accused Shankaramurthy of working against the rules and procedures of the House and the Constitution, PTI reported. Shankaramurthy, who had denied the allegations, on June 13 had allowed the notice of moving a no-confidence motion.

JD(S) state chief HD Kumaraswamy said the Congress had been indulging in “political opportunism” and said Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President G Parameshwara had offered the Legislative chairmanship to their party. Kumaraswamy also denied reports that he had supported the BJP because of the illegal mining case he is facing. He said the intention behind backing the BJP was maintaining to the status quo of the BJP occupying the chairman’s post and the JD(S) holding the deputy chairman’s post.

“We decided to reject the offer as it would dent our party’s image, and we did not want to look opportunistic,” Kumaraswamy said, according to The Economic Times.

The JD(S) had joined hands with the Congress to win the civic polls in Bengaluru. “By supporting the BJP in the council and the Congress in the civic body, he is keeping both options open, in the event there is a hung Assembly in the 2018 Assembly polls,” The Economic Times quoted an unidentified JD(S) member as saying. “This way, no one knows which way he will jump and that gives him the upper hand in a post-poll scenario.