Karnataka Floor Test: Mayawati directs lone BSP MLA to support Kumaraswamy govt

Bengaluru, July 21: BSP supremo Mayawati has directed N Mahesh, the lone MLA from the party to vote in favour of the Congress-JD(S) government during the floor test in the assembly.

"BSP national president Mayawati Ji has directed her party MLA in Karnataka to vote in favour of the Kumaraswamy government," said a tweet on the official handle of the BSP chief.

Earlier, there were reports that the BSP MLA has been skipping the ongoing assembly session as directed by party high command.

"I had my personal work so I couldn't go to the session. 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," Mahesh told reporters.

Mahesh, was among the 20 members who had missed the Karnataka Assembly session on Thursday and Friday along with the 15 rebels MLAs, two independents, and Congress MLAs Srimant Patil and B Nagendra.

Meanwhile, hectic parleys are on among both camps of the Karnataka assembly. While Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa held a meeting with his MLAs on Saturday, Congress and JDS leaders, too, discussed the situation and further plan of action for Monday.

If the resignations of 15 MLAs are accepted by the Speaker, the coalition's number will be brought down to 101, much below the required majority in the House.

While two other Congress MLAs have bowed out of the assembly session citing health reasons, the number will further fall down to 99 and now with the latest blow coming from BSP, coalition's strength may further go down to 98.

As many as 16 MLAs, 13 from Congress and three from JDS had resigned, while independent MLAs R Shankar and H Nagesh have withdrawn support to the coalition government, putting the government on edge.