Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Tuesday expelled the lone party MLA in Karnataka for not voting for the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition during the trust vote in the Assembly. The coalition lost the floor test 99 to 105.
“By violating the party high command order to vote in favour of the Kumaraswamy government in Karnataka, BSP legislator N Mahesh was absent during the trust vote today, which is indiscipline and the party has considered it seriously,” Mayawati said in a tweet. “Mahesh has been expelled from the party with immediate effect.”
Mayawati had on Sunday directed Mahesh to vote in favour of the HD Kumaraswamy-led government. The Bahujan Samaj Party had contested the Assembly polls in 2018 in an alliance with the Janata Dal (Secular).
Mahesh, the MLA from Kollegala constituency, had been the minister for primary and secondary education. He resigned in October 2018 citing personal reasons, but said he would continue to back the coalition.
On Sunday, Mahesh claimed that the party had told him to abstain from voting, NDTV reported. “I had my personal work so I couldn’t go to the session,” he said. “My high command has told me to abstain from voting on trust motion so I won’t attend the session on Monday and Tuesday. I’ll be in my constituency.”
Later in the day, Mayawati clarified that she had asked Mahesh to vote for the coalition. The Bahujan Samaj Party also supported the Congress governments in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
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