Mandya MP Sumalatha Ambarish decided to join BJP: Strengthening HDK in Mandya elections

Sumalatha Ambareesh, the independent Member of Parliament of Mandya, Karnataka, is all set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. After the demise of actor-turned-politician Ambareesh in 2018, his wife, Sumalatha Ambareesh, entered into electoral politics and contested from Mandya.

Sumalatha won as an independent candidate from Mandya in 2019 and has been lending her support to the saffron party for a while now. The BJP did not field any candidate against Sumalatha in Mandya in 2019. And in this election Sumalatha Ambareesh defeated Nikhil Kumaraswamy, the son of HD Kumaraswamy, in Mandya.

However, with her latest decision to join the BJP, it is clarified that she will not be in the poll race and will lend her support to HD.Kumaraswamy.

The heartland of Vokkaligas, Mandya was the home turf of the former Prime Minister HD Devegowda's family, but in the recent assembly elections, the JD(S) did not perform up to the mark.

The BJP, which is in alliance with the Janata Dal(Secular) in Karnataka, has allotted Mandya seat to former CM and JD(S) state chief HD.Kumaraswamy. Ever since the name of Kumaraswamy was announced, the supporters of Sumalatha Ambareesh have been wondering whether she will contest once again as an independent or step away from the polls.

The Congress has now fielded Venkataramana Gowda, popularly known as Star Chandru from Mandya, against the BJP-JDS. Star Chandru is a close associate of DK Shivakumar, and it is expected to be an exciting fight in the South Karnataka region.