MYSURU: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)’s decision to walk out on the JD(S)-Congress government in Karnataka with its lone minister N Mahesh resigning from the Kumaraswamy cabinet on Thursday has raised many eyebrows. Though Mahesh maintained that he could not devote time to develop his home constituency Kollegal and gear up his party for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, political pundits feel that the development should be seen against the backdrop of BSP chief Mayawati’s decision not to have truck with the Congress in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh which are going to polls in the next two months.
Considering the fact that both Congress and BSP have the same social base comprising Dalits, Backward Classes and Minorities, Mayawati feels that her party’s association with it (Congress) may erode her relevance, observers said.
Her fear of possible diminished prospects of the BSP in the event of Congress regaining its lost ground in the 2019 polls could have made her rethink on her party’s association with it, they felt. The observers feel that BJP’s emergence would not threaten her, but Congress’ improved performance could further reduce her party to non-entity.
By not getting into a pre-poll alliance with Congress yet for 2019 polls, Mayawati wants to keep her options open in case of a hung Parliament, the observers said.Political commentator Prof Muzaffar Asadi said the BSP’s decision is a set back to opposition unity. He said BSP is not keen on transferring its votes to Congress which has enjoys similar social base.
Congress leader B K Chandrashekar said it was untenable for Mahesh to continue in the government after Mayawati decided to go it alone in other states. He felt that BSP should have continued its alliance with secular parties alongside consolidating Dalit vote bank.