Asking people of Mandya to be on the vigil and prevent the Janata Dal (Secular) from distributing money in the next 48 hours, supporters of Ind ependent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh asked voters to vote for ‘Suma lathakka’ even if they took money from the JD(S).
Noted Kannada actor Darshan Tugudeepa, while addressing a public meeting here on Tuesday, said that when a pair of bullocks costs Rs 1.5 lakh, a milching cow costs Rs 75,000 and a goat costs Rs 15,000, ‘selling’ a vote for just Rs 500 to Rs 1000 is a big insult. “The money given by political parties may last for one or two days but the wrong selection of a candidate will affect them for five years,” he said.
He asked people to be vigil for the next 48 hours amid reports that the JD(S) is planning to spend Rs 150 crore in Mandya to defeat Sumalatha and ensure the victory of the CM’s son Nikhil Kumara swamy. Training his guns on Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy for his comments on film actors, Darshan said acting was like any other profession and there is no stigma attached to it. If the CM had a negative attitude towards actors, he should not spend Rs 50 crore on producing a movie for his son, Nikhil Kumara swamy and instead build a home for the aged and orphans. "I spend Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 2 crore every year on sponsoring the education of poor students and that money is earned through hard work," he quipped.
Abhishek Gowda, son of late actor Ambareesh, said he and his mother were being targeted by JD(S) leaders who had been making ‘cheap’ remarks. “On the day my father passed away, CM Kumaraswamy said it was not possible to take the body to Mandya due to the volatile situation. But, he did after Mandya residents threatened to revolt if it was not arranged," he recalled.
Actor Yash took JD(S) leaders to task for their comments on Sumalatha and asked voters to support her by voting for her on April 18. Film personalities Rockline Venkatesh and Doddanna and farmer leader Darshan Puttanaiah too spoke.
Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading.
