Mandya Lok Sabha member Sumalatha Ambareesh said she sacrificed her seat for JDS nominee and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy to contest from Mandya in the ensuing poll. (Photo: By Arrangement)
Bengaluru: Independent Lok Sabha member representing Mandya Sumalatha Ambareesh on Wednesday announced her decision to join Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and her other decision was not to contest the ensuing Lok Sabha poll from Mandya while stating that she has not exited from Mandya politics.
“Many leaders would leave a party if denied re-nomination but I have sacrificed my seat (for JDS),” said Sumalatha, an aspirant for BJP ticket to contest from Mandya, speaking at a meeting of her supporters in Mandya town. In 2023, she had announced her decision to support BJP.
In the 2019 parliamentary election, Sumalatha contested as an independent nominee against Janata Dal Secular-Congress nominee Nikhil, son of JDS State president H.D. Kumaraswamy who was then the Chief Minister. Now, Kumaraswamy is in the fray as JDS-BJP consensus candidate owing to their alliance. Kumaraswamy is in the fray against Congress nominee Venkataramane Gowda, a businessman.
In the changed scenario, Sumalatha said he had options before her such as to contest as an independent nominee in the ensuing election but the contest as an independent would send across a message of having “vengeance” and stated nothing substantial could be achieved by being an independent nominee in the ensuing Lok Sabha poll.
On her decision not to join the Congress party, in an oblique to president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s statement that she was not needed for the Congress party, Sumalatha appealed to her supporters not to force her to join the Congress party where there is no respect for her.
The Mandya MP said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to her and asked her not to take hasty decisions on her political career (after the Mandya seat was spared for its ally JDS) and she said “I commanded respect from Modi. That’s the sign of a quality leadership.”
Explaining the reasons for her decision to join BJP, she said during his role as a Chief Minister and also as a Prime Minister, Modi never faced any allegations of corruption against him and Modi has taken the country to the new heights drawing the attention of the world. She said her decision to join BJP is in the interest of her supporters.
Prior to her decision to join BJP, Sumalatha stated that she held detailed discussions with leaders in New Delhi and also in Bengaluru and said that under Modi, she as an independent nominee was able to get Rs 4,000 crore funds for development of Mandya and that the BJP leaders always took her into confidence.
In the 2019 parliamentary election, Sumalatha contested as an independent nominee against Janata Dal Secular-Congress nominee Nikhil, son of JDS State president H.D. Kumaraswamy who was then the Chief Minister. Now, Kumaraswamy is in the fray as JDS-BJP consensus candidate owing to their alliance. Kumaraswamy is in the fray against Congress nominee Venkataramane Gowda, a businessman.
In the changed scenario, Sumalatha said he had options before her such as to contest as an independent nominee in the ensuing election but the contest as an independent would send across a message of having “vengeance” and stated nothing substantial could be achieved by being an independent nominee in the ensuing Lok Sabha poll.
On her decision not to join the Congress party, in an oblique to president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s statement that she was not needed for the Congress party, Sumalatha appealed to her supporters not to force her to join the Congress party where there is no respect for her.
The Mandya MP said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to her and asked her not to take hasty decisions on her political career (after the Mandya seat was spared for its ally JDS) and she said “I commanded respect from Modi. That’s the sign of a quality leadership.”
Explaining the reasons for her decision to join BJP, she said during his role as a Chief Minister and also as a Prime Minister, Modi never faced any allegations of corruption against him and Modi has taken the country to the new heights drawing the attention of the world. She said her decision to join BJP is in the interest of her supporters.
Prior to her decision to join BJP, Sumalatha stated that she held detailed discussions with leaders in New Delhi and also in Bengaluru and said that under Modi, she as an independent nominee was able to get Rs 4,000 crore funds for development of Mandya and that the BJP leaders always took her into confidence.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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