Mandya: There was no candidate (Sumalatha Ambareesh) by his side but popular Kannada actor Darshan Tugudeepa who hit the road on Monday to campaign for the actress, widow of former minister late M.H. Ambareesh, drew huge crowds making spectators wonder who the candidate was!
Darshan kicked off his campaign from Aralikatte circle near KRS dam and covered almost 20 villages en route. Standing on an open goods vehicle, the popular actor went on a whirlwind tour travelling on the dusty roads of Mandya.
He had suffered a fracture on his hand but still shook hands with his fans and those of Ambareesh in the villages.
There were no lengthy political speeches and all that the actor said was one line. "Candidate's name: Sumalatha A, Serial No 20 and date of polling 18/04/2019". He stressed on serial number 20 as three women with similar names-Sumalatha-have been fielded in Mandya, apparently to mislead voters and split the vote base of the actual candidate.
Praising his mentor 'Appaji' (Ambareesh), Darshan said “Ambi was like my father. I was like his son and he was my friend, philosopher and guide. There is a big vacuum after his death and Sumalatha who is fondly called 'Mother India', was left shattered. This is the time she wanted someone to shoulder the responsibility in the absence of Ambi Appaji. For this reason, I am with my Mother India and campaigning for her till April 16 (last day of campaigning for the first phase in Karnataka). My Amma is not after power, all she wants to do is fulfill the dreams of her husband. Today, Ambi Appaji may not be us, but lakhs of people are supporting Sumalatha. We must ensure that she wins the election with a big margin".
Braving the scorching sun, Darshan, called 'Dacchu' by his fans, posed for selfies and drank tender coconut water kept ready for him by the villagers. Hundreds climbed on the vehicle to garland and take pictures with him.
The actor refused to comment on the statements of Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and other JD(S) leaders and said "I don't want to comment as my aim is to ensure my Amma's victory and nothing else".
Actor and 'KGF' movie star, Yash will be launching his campaign for Sumalatha on Tuesday to cover another portion of Mandya constituency.
On April 4, former Chief Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader, S.M. Krishna will be accompanying Sumalatha Ambareesh on her campaign in the constituency.
