BSP chief Mayawati expels MLA N Mahesh who abstained from Karnataka trust vote

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Tuesday expelled party’s lone MLA in Karnataka N Mahesh with immediate effect for abstaining from the trust vote and “violating directions”. The Congress-JDS government in Karnataka collapsed on Tuesday after the confidence motion moved by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy was defeated in the assembly, ending his 14-month long turbulent tenure.

“Despite directions from the party high command to vote in favour of HD Kumaraswamy, BSP MLA N Mahesh didn't attend the trust vote and violated directions, which is an act of indiscipline. The party has taken this seriously and expelled him with immediate effect,” the BSP said in a statement.

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

On Sunday, Mayawati had directed Mahesh to vote in favour of the Kumaraswamy government in the state.  "BSP national president Mayawati has directed the BSP MLA to vote in support of the Kumaraswamy government," the BSP chief had said in a tweet.

The BSP had contested the May 2018 assembly polls in a tie-up with JD(S), which in a post-election understanding joined hands with the Congress to form the government following a fractured verdict.

Mahesh, the MLA from Kollegala, who was part of the Kumaraswamy cabinet as the Primary and Secondary Education Minister had in October 2018 quit his post citing personal reasons, but had said he would continue to support the ruling coalition. 

Capping a three-week long high-voltage intense power struggle triggered by a raft of resignations by rebel lawmakers, that pushed the government to the brink of collapse, the motion was defeated with 99 members voting for the motion and 105 against it.