Sumalatha will back my candidacy, claims Kumaraswamy

NT Correspondent

Mysuru: J D(S) state president and newly announced National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate from Mandya HD Kumaraswamy hinted that sitting MP from the constituency Sumalatha Ambareesh would back his campaign.

He made the comments to mediapersons in Mysuru on Thursday. Sumalatha, an independent MP, had won from Mandya in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with BJP backing and has been close to the ruling party at the Centre ever since.

Sumlatha, the widow of Kannada movie actor Ambareesh, had maintained that she too is a part of the NDA and would get a ticket to contest from Mandya.

However, Kumaraswamy under pressure from allies BJP has agreed to contest from the seat. “I and Amabreesh were friends. Everyone knows this. Sumalatha has served me lunch alongside Ambareesh. We are not enemies. I’m confident that she will bless me,” Kumaraswamy said.

He also tried to downplay opposition to his Mandya candidacy from Mandya within the party. The twotime Chief Minister said that despite having a simple majority of 134 seats, the Congress State government would fall.

“I’m not an astrologer. However, after this election, by December, this Congress government will fall,” Kumaraswmay said.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on the other hand claimed that Kumaraswamy would lose in Mandya just like his son Nikhil did in 2019, pointing out that the JD(S) leader could not ensure his son’s victory even as the sitting CM.

“I had lost when I was sitting CM when the Congress JD(S) alliance was in power. Therefore Siddaramaiah also contributed to my son’s defeat,” Kumaraswamy hit back.

BJP state president BY Vijayendra called on BJP workers to ensure that Kumaraswamy wins by a huge margin.

“Pro-people Kumaraswamy should become the Mandya MP. Our alliance winning all 28 (Lok Sabha) seats (in the state) is guaranteed and is a goal of ours. There is no question of forgetting this,” he said.