Sumalatha seeks Krishna’s support for her candidature
Bengaluru: Actor Sumalatha Ambareesh, who failed to secure a Congress ticket to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Mandya, on Friday met senior BJP leader and former chief minister S M Krishna and sought his support for her candidature.
Sumalatha, who is likely to contest the election as an Independent candidate, maintained that she will announce her decision to this effect on March 18.
Playing the cards close to her chest Sumalatha said that she had come to merely seek the blessings of Krishna, a
prominent Vokkaliga leader from Mandya. She, however, said that she was looking forward to all the support she could get.
“My family shares a good bond with Krishna. I have apprised him of the current situation in Mandya. I have not met any other BJP leader, so far. I will, however, meet all senior leaders and seek their blessings. No one from BJP has officially told me that they will extend their support to me. But given the situation that I’m in, I will welcome everyone’s support,” she said in response to a question on the BJP extending support to her if she contests as an Independent.
After the meeting with Sumalatha, Krishna said that he would discuss with the party leadership on extending support to her in the polls.
“Sumalatha has informed about her decision to contest from Mandya. I will also speak to the BJP leadership,” Krishna said.
He also said that the BJP would take a call by March 18 on whether it should field a candidate from Mandya or support Sumalatha by not fielding a candidate.
On whether he would support Sumalatha if the BJP fielded its candidate, he said, “S M Krishna is not different from BJP. I am part of it.”
While a section of BJP leaders feel that the party should field Sumalatha from Mandya, others believe it is best to extend her external support.
Despite the Congress leaders announcing that the party would not field Sumalatha from Mandya, she had remained hopeful.
The local Congress leaders, who are fuming over the party’s decision to cede the seat to the JD(S), are however pleased with Sumalatha’s decision to contest against Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil Kumaraswamy.
Both Sumalatha and the Congress are hoping that the sympathy wave, following her husband Ambareesh’s death, would work in her favour.
Sumalatha targets JD(S) on social media
Sumalatha Ambareesh, wife of the late actor-turned-politician M H Ambareesh, took to social media to comment against JD(S) leaders and also thanked Congress leader N Cheluvarayaswamy for his cooperation.
In her post on Facebook, she has mentioned, “Politics in the name of farmers should be stopped. It is a dishonour to the farmers”.
Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda, during their election campaign in favour of JD(S) candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy on Friday, had spoken about farmers.
“Politicians should not indulge in assurance politics. But they should respond to the farmers honestly. The people of Mandya don’t know slyness. The people are honest and I don’t want deceptive politics. I will do honest politics which Ambareesh was doing,” Sumalatha has said.