BANGALORE: It was high drama at the Congress Bhavan here on Tuesday, when Muslim MLAs and office-bearers of the party offered to resign from their posts upset at the defeat of former MP Iqbal Ahmed Saradagi in the legislative councils polls with KPCC president G Parameshwara and opposition leader Siddaramaiah rushing to pacify them.Stunned by the developments, Parameshwara and Siddaramaiah, who walked into the meeting of Muslim legislators and office-bearers, which was being held in the party office premises announced a five-member panel to inquire into the cross-voting by six of its MLAs. The panel comprises Allum Veerabhadrappa, H K Patil, B L Shankar, V R Sudarshan and Naseer Ahmed.Saradagi hailing from Gulbarga was the party’s official candidate and supposed to get the requisite 19 votes, but he polled only 15. On the contrary M R Seetharam, who was the Congress fourth candidate and had been allotted the 14 surplus votes sailed through by polling 20 votes.According to sources, some of the members in the meeting became emotional and said they did not want to continue in the party. ``When a national party like the Congress cannot safeguard the minorities, interests, there is no need to be there and bear chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda ’s taunt on the issue,’’ they added.The Congress has nine Muslims in the assembly and one MLC Naseer Ahmed. It is learnt the members vented their ire at Parameshwara for failing to work out a strategy and instead pushing for a fourth candidate, when the party was short of votes. It was also pointed out that Saradagi, who was a two term MP from Gulbarga had been assured during the 2009 Lok Sabha polls that he would be accommodated suitably in future after his constituency became a reserved seat in the delimitation.Sources said Parameshwara pacifying the members assured that the panel would be asked to submit its report within eight days. Based on the report , action on expelling members who had indulged in cross-voting would be done so that they will stand no chance of getting a ticket next time.When members wanted to know from Parameshwara, whether this would mean taking action against MLC –elect Seetharam, if he had lured the MLAs to cross vote for him, the KPCC president is said to have replied in the affirmative.While many believe the panel cannot zero in on the six MLAs who cross-voted as it was a secret ballot, Congress sources said the party leadership erred in choosing the MLAs to vote for Saradagi.Known to be Union minister Mallikarjun M Kharge’s follower, sources said Saradagi was allotted first preferential votes from north Karnataka MLAs, where the equations did not work for both. Interestingly, Parameshwara allotted his first preferential vote for Saradagi.