Karnataka: As Kumaraswamy's government falls, Mayawati expels lone BSP MLA from the party after he skipped trust vote

The long pending floor test was conducted and the Congress JD(S) coalition government fell in Karnataka after 426 days of rule. As the number was counted, the JD(S) stood at 99 and the BJP at 105, with this BSP supremo Mayawati expelled her party member - the sole BSP MLA in Karnataka - N Mahesh from her party as he was absent from the vote in the floor test. 

"In violation of the instructions of the party high command to vote in support of the Kumaraswamy government in Karnataka, BSP legislator N Mahesh was absent in today's trust vote, which is indispensable. The party took it very seriously and therefore is expelling Mr. Mahesh from the party with immediate effect."

With the numbers being 105 for the BJP and 99 for the coalition of JD(S) and Congress, the Karnataka government of CM HD Kumaraswamy fell July 23, at around 19:30 hours. HD Kumaraswamy spoke in the Vidhan Soudha minutes before the trust vote. Even as Kumaraswamy continued with his monologue in the assembly, sometimes citing that he is not power-hungry and on other times blaming media for wrongly highlighting the developments in the state, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Alok Kumar imposed Section 144. The Karnataka CM lashed out at media saying: "I ask the electronic media, why are you selling the country for the sake of TRP? Even when I'm going home, cameras follow me . Don't I have my privacy? It's my parent's or God's blessings that I am even alive and standing here today. I am a sensitive & emotional person."

A day earlier, the BJP sat at the Vidhan Soudha on Monday demanding that they would not move out until the trust vote is conducted, the Karnataka CM held a letter saying that a fake letter is doing rounds. Earlier, Sources told the Republic Media Network that letters are doing rounds of his resignation but official sources from the Chief Minister's office did not respond to the speculations.

The blame game upon the BJP and charges of horse trading has begun. However, NC leader Omar Abdullah said that it was not the death of democracy and that the coalition govt was opportunistic. With Kumaraswamy at the Raj Bhavan (at the time of writing), the search for the new government by the Governor Vajubhai Vala will begin soon.