Diatribe against Sumalatha may prove costly for Nikhil, says Sandesh Nagaraj

Bengaluru: Senior Janata Dal (Secular) leader and MLC Sandesh Nagaraj said Minor Irrigation Minister C.S. Puttaraju, Mandya MP L.R. Shivaramegowda and MLC K.T. Srikantegowda would be resposible if Nikhil Kumaraswamy, son of Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and the JD(S) candidate for Mandya, is defeated.

He told Deccan Chronicle that these two senior JD(S) leaders have been criticising Sumalatha Ambareesh, widow of former minister late M.H. Ambareesh and an independent candidate in Mandya, day in and day out without respecting her as a woman. Their diatribe against her has not gone down well with the people of Mandya since they had a lot of love and affection for Ambareesh who had represented this constituency three times.

Late Ambareesh was an unquestionable leader of the masses because of which he was given several titles including 'Mandyada Gandu' by his fans. It would be very difficult for Nikhil to win this election if senior JD(S) leaders fail to stop personal attacks on her, Mr Nagaraj said.

Asked about his non-participation in the campaign for the CM's son, Nagaraj said he had been asked not to come to Mandya to campaign by Mr Puttaraju, Tourism Minister Sa Ra Mahesh and Mr Srikantegowda in front of Mr Kumaraswamy, since he had worked for his brother, Sandesh Swamy, who contested on a BJP ticket from NR constituency in Mysuru in the 2018 Assembly polls. "Like Mr Kumaraswamy is trying to ensure his son's victory, I too tried for my brother's win in Mysuru. My family comes first and then politics. I will wait for two days for a response from my party and then I may campaign for Ms Sumalatha who is in need of support from all quarters".

The MLC said he enjoyed a good relationship with Ambareesh for more than three decades and Sumalatha was contesting from Mandya to fulfill the dreams of her husband. Instead of treating her with respect, JD(S) leaders were targeting her unnecessarily. Though, the Election Commi ssion of India says that women candidates should not be insulted by anyone, JD(S) leaders were still doing it and they may have to pay a price for it, he added.

Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading.