Bengaluru, Aug 2: Kollegal MLA N Mahesh, expelled from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), is all sent to join the BJP on August 5 in the presence of party’s state president Nalin Kumar Kateel in Bengaluru.
"For the sake of my future in politics, I've decided to join the BJP" Mahesh, who was ousted from the BSP in 2019, confirmed.
Asked whether he had discussed about his joining the BJP with party veteran and former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, Mahesh said, "Yes, he asked me to join."
Mahesh was seen along with Yediyurappa during his visit to Chamarajanagar district last week to console the family of his supporter, who allegedly died by suicide, as he was upset over the resignation (of Yediyurappa) from the post of the Chief Minister.
The Kollegal MLA said he decided to join the BJP keeping in mind his political future and the future of his constituency.
"All my well wishers and karyakartas suggested that it was safe for us to go to BJP, as Congress will be difficult for us. There is no place in Congress too as it never invited me to the party, while BJP has been asking me to join it for two years now," he said.
Stating that he has not put any condition for joining the party like becoming a Minister in the new Cabinet led by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Mahesh said neither the party has assured anything nor has he put any such condition.
"They (BJP) have told me, come let’s work together. I have had association with them for the last two years, it has convinced me (to join the party)," he said.
To a question on him accepting a divergent ideology by joining the BJP, Mahesh said, "Ultimately what is the net result of the ideology? It is working for the people. We will have to work for the people. I think I will have the opportunity to work for the people and continue with it."
National president of BSP Mayawati had, in July 2019, expelled the lone party MLA in Karnataka Mahesh for allegedly violating the party decision to vote in favour of the H D Kumaraswamy government that lost the trust-vote in the Assembly.
The BSP had contested the May 2018 Assembly polls by tying up with the JD(S) which, in a post-election understanding, joined hands with Congress to form the government following a fractured verdict. Mahesh, 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, he had said he would continue to support the ruling coalition. After the BJP came to power following the collapse of Congress-JD(S) government led by Kumaraswamy, he has been taking a stand in favour of the saffron party in the Assembly. Out of four Assembly segments in Chamarajanagar district, the ruling BJP has only one MLA, and the induction of Mahesh is likely to help the party in the region in the days to come.
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