2018 polls: Ramya to contest from Mandya?

Speculation is rife in the ruling Congress on whether actor-turned-politician Ramya will contest from the Mandya assembly constituency in the 2018 Karnataka Assembly polls. This will mark her return to state politics.

Ramya, a former MP from Mandya, presently heads the party's social media outreach. She was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Mandya seat in the 2013 bypolls, but lost in 2014.

"The people of Mandya want Ramya to contest," Bengaluru Rural MP D K Suresh told reporters. "Ramya is active in both state and national politics. The party will make the best use of her. But the final decision will be taken by the party high command," he said.

Incumbent Mandya MLA M H Ambareesh, also an actor-turned-politician, expressed uncertainty about his own electoral prospects. "I will contest if the high command asks me to. But I welcome Ramya's candidature in Mandya," the former minister said.

CM hits out at Yogeshwar

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday hit out at Channapatna legislator C P Yogeshwara, who quit the Congress and joined the BJP recently. "I thank party workers who have stayed on even after Yogeshwar left. Channapatna has always been a Congress fortress. Yogeshwara hasn't made Channapatna a heaven," he said.

Yogeshwar, who was elected on a Samajwadi Party ticket in the 2013 Assembly polls, joined Congress during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. In October this year, he quit Congress citing differences with the party leadership. He formally joined the BJP early November.