Sumalatha ambivalent on campaigning in Mandya

Sumalatha Ambareesh discusses her campaign plans in Mandya, addresses social media judgment on crime victims, and Darshan's support.

Sumalatha Ambareesh who did not seek a re-election from Mandya parliamentary seat after being elected as an Independent in 2019, said here on Saturday that she will campaign in Mandya if the party asks her to do so.

Sumalatha campaigning or lack of it in Mandya has garnered interest among the public as she had a long-running feud with the Janata Dal (Secular) president and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy who is now contesting from Mandya while she has not entered the fray.

Though she was widely expected to seek re-election in continuation of the vitriolic feud with Mr. Kumaraswamy, the two have ostensibly sued for peace following the JD(S) allying with the BJP which surrendered Mandya to its alliance partner.

Besides, Sumalatha herself joined the BJP officially and though she was offered a BJP ticket from other constituencies including Chikkaballapura, she refused it on the grounds that she had a long standing association with the people of Mandya.

In reply to a question on whether she will campaign in favour of Mr.Kumaraswamy with whom she had a running feud, Ms. Sumalatha was ambivalent and repeated that she will campaign wherever her party wants her to do so.

“My gesture of vacating a seat that I had won amounts to extending my support,” she said without mentioning any names. “Not many are prepared to vacate a seat which has been won but I have done so,” she added. Ms. Ambareesh said as a BJP member she was bound to support the NDA candidate.

Reacting to the Hubballi incident in which a college girl was murdered, Ms. Sumalatha Ambareesh said that it was despicable that some social media posts are being judgmental about the victim.