BSP MLA N Mahesh to skip Karnataka floor test on 'Mayawati's direction'

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA N Mahesh who bagged the Congress-Janata Dal Secular government in Karnataka has said that he will not be attending the floor test on Tuesday. He said that he will skip the trust vote as per the direction of BJP supremo Mayawati, news agency ANI reported.

The Congress-JD(S) government is counting on the support from the lone BSP MLA. Following his absence from the Karnataka Assembly session this week, there were reports that he was told by Mayawati to go against the coalition during the trust vote. 

Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy led state government is unlikely to successfully sail through the trust vote if the 16 rebel MLAs do not take back their resignation. The 13-month-old Congress-JDS government slumped into a minority earlier this month following the resignation of several dissident MLAs. Sixteen MLAs from the ruling coalition, including 13 from Congress and three JD(S) MLAs, have resigned from the cabinet.

If the 16 MLAs skip voting or if the Speaker accepts their resignations, the effective strength of the House will be reduced to 209, including the Speaker. In such a scenario, the halfway-mark for the government to prove its majority will come down to 105. With 16 MLAs pulling out support, the Congress-JDS government which formed the government with the support of 117 MLAs will have only 101 legislators by its side. If the lone BSP MLA does not take part in the vote, the number goes down even further. The Anglo-Indian MLA which the government nominated may be expected to vote in favour of the combine. 

Ahead of the floor test, the Chief Minister on Sunday called a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leaders at the Taj Hotel. The trust vote is scheduled to take place on Monday after the House was adjourned in the wake of the Assembly failing to meet the two deadlines set by Governor Vajubhai Vala to complete the trust vote on July 19.