After Mayawati's snub, lone BSP minister in Congress-JDS coalition quits Karnataka Cabinet

Bengaluru: A Karnataka minister belonging to Mayawati's BSP resigned from Chief Minister Kumaraswamy's cabinet on Thursday. In a blow to the Congress-JDS coalition government in the state, the lone BSP Minister N Mahesh quit his post citing personal reasons.

He, however, said he would continue to support the ruling coalition.

His surprise move came days after his party supremo Mayawati announced that her party would contest assembly elections in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh either on its own or in alliance with regional parties but not with the Congress.

After submitting his resignation to the Chief Minister, Mahesh said that he quit to focus more on his assembly constituency Kollegal and to strengthen his party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

"There had been a campaign against me in my constituency that I have camped in Bengaluru and was not focusing on Kollegal.

Also, there was a need to strengthen the party base ahead of the Lok Sabha elections," said Mahesh.

The BSP leader said he has not yet informed Mayawati about his decision to resign.

"No, I have not informed her. I have come before the media. Now I will tell Behenji (Mayawati)," said Mahesh, who is the minister for primary and secondary education.

He said the Chief Minister told him that he would consider his resignation.

Mahesh vowed to continue his support to the coalition government and said he would campaign for the JD(S) during the bypolls for three Lok Sabha and two assembly seats in the state on November 3.

"I do not have any grouse against anybody in the government. As a minister, I did my best and toured the state. This resignation is purely due to personal reasons," he said.

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

Causing ripples in the coalition, Mahesh had also recently hit out at the Congress, BJP and JD(S), saying they were responsible for economic and social inequality in the country and projected BSP as the champion for the cause of the oppressed.

"I'm saying this openly, whether it is Congress or BJP or Janata Dal, their workers will not understand the ideology that I'm speaking about.

They don't need it because until there is this caste system and inequality- Congress, BJP and Janata Dal will continue to exist," Mahesh had said.

(With inputs from PTI)