K Shiva Kumar By Express News Service BENGALURU: With the 13-month-old government of CM Kumaraswamy in trouble, the lone Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA is likely to hitch his star to the BJP bandwagon. With BSP supremo Mayawati walking out of the SP-BSP alliance to go it alone, and take on both the SP and BJP in the bypolls in Uttar Pradesh, BSP MLA N Mahesh is weighing all options that would benefit him politically, and also help develop his Kollegal constituency. Mahesh lost five elections before making it to the assembly in 2018, when he had fought the election in alliance with JDS. He went on to become Primary Education Minister in the coalition government, that was formed to stop the BJP from coming to power. However, his stint as minister ended when Mayawati decided to pull out of the Congress-led Mahagathbandhan to fight the Lok Sabha elections alone. against the Congress and Samajwadi Party. He had sought separate seating arrangement in the assembly, and extended issue-based support to the government. Mahesh, who is playing his cards close to his chest, may support either side or take a neutral stand, as he alone cannot make or mar the formation of the government, with a sufficient number of MLAs having submitted their resignation papers. Though the BSP has taken a stand to fight the BJP, SP and Congress in the Uttar Pradesh polls, there is pressure from his supporters to extend outside support to the new government, in the interest of the constituency. They want Mahesh to support a stable government as no one is in favour of mid-term polls. BSP workers feel that issue-based support to the BJP government would help them on the ground in Kollegal SC Reserve constituency, that as more than 60,000 Lingayat votes that tilt in its favour.

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