MP Sumalatha to knock Vijayendra's door

NT Correspondent

Mandya / Bengaluru: BJP-backed independent MP from Mandya, Sumalatha Ambareesh is said to have sought a meeting with the saffron party’s Karnataka president BY Vijayendra.

The request comes in the backdrop of BJP ally and JD(S) state president HD Kumaraswamy publically hinting that his party could field a candidate from Mandya.

During his stay at a resort in Chikkamagaluru with district leaders like MLC SL Bhojegowda, he had told mediapersons that the mood in Mandya district was so conducive to a JD(S) victory that even a common party worker would win from the seat.

However, the statement didn’t come out of the blue. Recently, there has been speculation that Kumaraswamy himself would consider contesting from Mandya, which is a part of the Old Mysuru Vokkaliga heartland where the JD(S) retains a presence.

Party workers have argued that if Kumaraswamy were to contest from Mandya, it would have an influence on the neighbouring Mysuru district. Consequently, JD(S) could claim the Mysuru-Kodagu seat as well.
The regional outfit is pushing for an opportunity to contest at least four to five of the 28 Lok Sabha constituencies

Won with BJP backing in 2019

This has left Sumalatha in an awkward position since she had won the seat in the 2019 general elections in great part because BJP had backed her and not fielded a candidate of her own.

In an echo of what is happening today, she had approached state Congress leaders over the Mandya seat, citing her late husband and Kannada film star Ambareesh’s huge popularity in the district but they couldn’t accommodate her because of coalition dharma.

Congress ended up supporting then alliance partner JD(S)’ candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy, who lost to Sumalatha by more than 1,25,000 votes.

In a déjà vu, JD(S) has once a g ain become a stumbling block for the actress-turned politician.

The regional party has at least three contenders for the Mandya constituency in Kumaraswamy, his son Nikhil Gowda and former MP from the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency CS Puttaraju.

Congress, independent bid options

Congress has been monitoring the Sumalatha situation closely, even as Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna on Saturday said that Agriculture Minister N Chaluvaraya Swamy would speak on the issue in the coming few days.

Sumalatha’s supporters insist on her contesting from Mandya even as an independent were BJP to support a JD(S) candidate from the seat.

Since Congress doesn’t have a strong candidate for Mandya, they might consider fielding Sumalatha on a party ticket or back her as an independent.

Sumalatha is on good terms with CM Siddaramaiah but local Mandya workers and leaders oppose her association with or induction into the party since they’ll have to take a back seat as a result. In the absence of a good candidate, Congress may have to field Chaluvaraya Swamy from Mandya.

Compared to uprooting a sitting minister, the party might feel backing Sumalatha is an attractive option.