Sumalatha asks elected reps to join hands for Cauvery

MP-elect Sumalatha Ambareesh said, the eight JD(S) MLAs of the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency should come out of the desperation of the defeat and join hands to solve the water crisis of the district.

During ‘Swabhimanigala Vijayothsava’, of her victory in the Lok Sabha poll, at Silver Jubilee Park, here, on Wednesday, she said, the Cauvery River water sharing issue will not be solved by issuing statements.

She was referring to statements by JD(S) MLAs, especially Ravindra Srikantaiah of Srirangapatna, deemed to be bete noire of the late Ambareesh, that she should take steps to release water from the KRS Dam to the canals to save the standing crops in the district.

“All MLAs and all people’s representatives, including myself, should join hands to solve the problem. My husband Ambareesh resigned as Union minister to support the farmers of Mandya district in the Cauvery River water issue. I will follow in his footsteps, in supporting the people. It is not the issue of only Mandya district. All should join hands to do justice to the people of the districts in the Cauvery River basin, to get their share of water. The MLAs should shed ego and come together,” she said.

Many firsts

Sumalatha said, the Lok Sabha election to Mandya has created several records in the state as well as the country. “People of Mandya have elected a first-ever woman independent candidate in the state,” she said.

Sumalatha said, “Henceforth Ambareesh’s birth anniversary will be celebrated in Mandya. All these years, people used to visit our house in Bengaluru to celebrate his birthday.”