Sumalatha's displeasure against Congress leadership

Sumalatha, wife of actor-politician late Ambareesh on Thursday toured the district to elicit the opinion of the Congress leaders on her candidature for Lok Sabha polls from Mandya constituency.

Expressing her displeasure at the Congress leadership, Sumalatha, at a party meeting in Nagamangala, said, “I have already clarified that if I contest the polls, it will be only from Mandya. Some Congress leaders have been suggesting me to contest either from Bengaluru North or South, as the party has to follow ‘alliance dharma’, and will have to cede Mandya to the JD(S). They told me that there was no need to contest the elections as the party is ready to give me a post,” she said.

“Ambareesh had become minister twice, contesting from the Congress. I am not entering politics out of greed. I want to repay the debt of Mandya. The people who supported Ambareesh are now extending support to me and want me to contest the
Lok Sabha elections. If I don’t, it will be like disrespecting them. I will not contest from elsewhere,” she said.

She held discussions with Congress leader N Chaluvarayaswamy and also met leaders like G Madegowda, H B Ramu and M S Atamananda at their house.

‘Spare Mandya to Cong’

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader G Madegowda said that Mandya Lok Sabha constituency should be ceded to the Congress. “I will speak to the leaders in this regard. I will support Sumalatha, only if she contests on a Congress ticket, and not as an Independent. I am a Congressman from the beginning and I will stay one till the end,” he added.