Minister resigns:coalition partners in tricky situation

It is a tricky situation for all three parties of the coalition partners — JD(S), BSP and Congress — of the state government, in the old Mysuru region.

The lone BSP MLA in the state, N Mahesh, from Kollegal of Chamarajanagar district, resigned as Primary and Secondary Education Minister on Thursday. It is a tricky situation as the Congress leaders, including Chamarajanagar District in-charge Minister C Puttaranagashetty, have been complaining about the high-handedness of the JD(S) ministers and MLAs in connection with the conduct of Dasara festivities.

It has to be recalled that Mahesh too had similarly complained against Puttarangashetty, regarding affairs of Chamarajanagar district.

Of the 29 Assembly constituencies in Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Hassan districts, the JD(S) has 18 MLAs, followed by Congress and BJP five each, and one BSP MLA.

In the Cabinet, only Mahesh of BSP and Puttarangashetty of Congress were the non-JD(S) ministers.

Both belong to Chamarajanagar district. Now, Puttarangashetty is the only non-JD(S) minister of the region.

BSP leader Sosale Siddaraju said, even though Mahesh’s resignation has nothing to do with his grouse against Puttaranagashetty, the resignation reflects the general discord of the BSP with the Congress. “As per the directions of the BSP high-command, the support to the JD(S) will continue in the by-polls to Mandya Lok Sabha constituency. However, the party plans to go single in the 2019 general polls to the Lok Sabha. A meeting of party leaders and workers of Chamarajanagar district has already been held in this connection. Similar meetings will be held in all 30 districts of the state to strengthen the party,” he said.

Minister Puttarangashetty said, the difference is only between the Congress and the BSP, as parties, and his relationship with Mahesh is cordial.

He said, “I am not bothered by the high-handedness of JD(S) ministers. I have the support of senior MLAs, such as Tanveer Sait, and also of ex-chief minister Siddaramaiah.”

N R Ravichandregowda state spokesperson of the JD(S) said, both the BSP and its MLA Mahesh have nothing against the JD(S).

“While BSP supremo Mayawati has regards for JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda, Mahesh has a good rapport with Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy. The difference is only between the BSP and the Congress. Mahesh and the BSP will continue to support the Kumaraswamy government and also during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls,” he said.