Bengaluru: Karnataka’s lone Bahujan Samaj Party legislator N. Mahesh, who has been expelled from the party after he abstained from the floor test in the assembly Tuesday, apparently skipped it because he did not want to “waste” his vote.
Sources close to Mahesh said he stayed away as the numbers were not in favour of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government headed by H.D. Kumaraswamy, and that he did not want to “waste” his vote.
Mahesh was reportedly also upset with the constant bickering within the alliance, the continuous threats to the government’s stability and allegations of non-performance against the Kumaraswamy regime. He also wanted to make a point to his party that the decision to support the JD(S) may not have been in the best interests of the BSP, added the sources.
“He will speak to Behenji (Mayawati) and convince her about why he took that decision,” said a BSP leader who did not wish to be named.
‘Was told by party high command to abstain from voting’
Mahesh said Wednesday he abstained from voting in the Karnataka floor test because he was asked to do so. His comments came hours after he was expelled for not following party supremo Mayawati’s instructions.
Announcing her decision on Twitter, Mayawati had said Tuesday Mahesh was being expelled for acting against the party’s direction to vote in favour of the Congress-JD(S) government.
कर्नाटक में कुमारस्वामी सरकार के समर्थन में वोट देने के पार्टी हाईकमान के निर्देश का उल्लंघन करके बीएसपी विधायक एन महेश आज विश्वास मत में अनुपस्थित रहे जो अनुशासनहीनता है जिसे पार्टी ने अति गंभीरता से लिया है और इसलिए श्री महेश को तत्काल प्रभाव से पार्टी से निष्कासित कर दिया गया।
— Mayawati (@Mayawati) July 23, 2019
Mahesh, however, claimed his party high command had asked him to abstain from voting and remain neutral.
“I do not know why I’ve been expelled from the party. I have not seen the tweet nor have I have received any official communication from Behenji (Mayawati). I was asked to abstain from voting and I followed it,” he told ThePrint.
“Our party in-charge MP Ashok Siddharth told me to abstain from voting, keep neutral and don’t support any party. That was the instruction given to me and accordingly, I got myself absent,” ANI quoted Mahesh as saying.
He said he was surprised by the expulsion, and added that he did not violate any order.
“I was away from Bengaluru for nearly one week. I was in my constituency. So today morning I came to know that I am expelled,” said Mahesh. “It may be a miscommunication. I have got all justice from my party. I will stay in BSP today and tomorrow.”
Also read: Why a BJP govt in Karnataka could be as unstable as the 14-month Congress-JD(S) alliance
Move to BJP?
A source in the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, claimed that Mahesh may soon extend his support to a probable B.S. Yeddyurappa government if he decides to leave the BSP.
“Mahesh has been in talks with the party since the rebellion within the Congress-JD(S) coalition broke out. As of now he has been expelled from the BSP, but we will see if he formally agrees to join us,” a senior BJP functionary told ThePrint.
Mahesh, however told ANI, “I will not support the BJP. Let them form the government, I will keep neutral.”
On Tuesday, the Kumaraswamy government lost the floor test after securing 99 votes as against the opposition’s 105.
The coalition was counting on Mahesh’s vote, as well as that of Ballari MLA B. Nagendra. The latter abstained due to “ill health”.
Ahead of the trust vote, Mayawati had publicly directed Mahesh to vote in favour of the Congress-JD(S)-BSP coalition government.
बी.एस.पी. की राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष सुश्री मायावती जी ने कर्नाटक में अपने बी.एस.पी. के विधायक को सी.एम. श्री कुमार स्वामी की सरकार के समर्थन में वोट देने हेतु निर्देशित किया है।
— Mayawati (@Mayawati) July 21, 2019
The BSP alliance with the Karnataka coalition got strained in December last year when Mahesh was asked to resign as primary education minister after the BSP could not settle a seat-sharing agreement with the Congress for the five-state assembly elections.
At the time, Mayawati had vowed to fight the Congress at every step, which led to Mahesh’s forced resignation.
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