Bengaluru: The Congress could be in a fix with the Janata Dal (S) insisting on contesting from Mandya and Hassan in the coming Lok Sabha poll in the face of growing clamour among its partymen to field its own candidates from both constituencies.
Former minister, N. Cheluvarayaswamy, reveals leaders of Mandya have appealed to the party high command to field Ms Sumalatha Ambarish, wife of the late actor/politician, from the constituency in recognition of his services to the district. Besides, it would be easy for the Congress to win from Mandya owing to the wave of sympathy for the “Mandyada Gandu,” he argued.
“We have conveyed our feelings to our leaders and it is upto them to take a call. We will work for any candidate fielded by the party,” he added.
Mr Cheluvarayaswamy said that the members of the Ambareesh fans’ association in Mandya district and a few local Congress leaders would meet Ms Sumalatha and request her to contest from the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency, but they were aware she was not ready to enter the fray as an independent candidate.
“The Congress high command may understand the sentiments of the voters in the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency and persuade the leaders of the Janata Dal (Secular) to give up the constituency,” he maintained hopefully.
Meanwhile, Janata Dal (Secular) patriarch and former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda is having to contend with opposition from the Hassan Congress leaders to his decision to field his grandson, Prajwal Revanna from the constituency.
Former minister and Congress leader A. Manju has already declared that the local Congressmen would support only Mr Deve Gowda contesting from Hassan and no other member of his family in the event of a tie-up between the coalition partners.
Recalling that Mr Deve Gowda had been defeated in the Hassan constituency by the Congress party in the past, local partymen warn his grandson could meet the same fate without their support.
