MP Sumalatha to join BJP, won’t contest Lok Sabha polls
Mandya’s independent MP Sumalatha Ambareesh declared that she will join the BJP but opted out of seeking re-election from the constituency.
Ending the speculation over her next political move, Mandya’s independent MP Sumalatha Ambareesh on Wednesday declared that she will join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but opted out of seeking re-election from the constituency. This move comes as former CM HD Kumaraswamy represents the JD(S)-BJP coalition for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the region.
Addressing a gathering of her supporters in Mandya, the 60-year-old actor-turned-politician said, “I will not be contesting in this election, but my commitment to Mandya remains unwavering. While some individuals may choose to leave their party when denied a ticket, I have chosen to relinquish my seat and align with the BJP.”
In 2019 general elections, Sumalatha had defeated Kumaraswamy’s son, Nikhil, won with BJP’s support. With the BJP’s alliance with the Janata Dal (Secular) in Karnataka, the Mandya seat was allocated to former CM HD Kumaraswamy.
In the 2019 elections, Sumalatha’s triumph over Nikhil marked a significant political change in Mandya, which was considered a JD(S) bastion. After the demise of actor-turned-politician Ambareesh in 2018, his wife, Sumalatha, ventured into electoral politics and contested from Mandya.
Sumalatha acknowledged the BJP government at the Centre for providing substantial grants totalling ₹4,000 crore to the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency.
She commended the BJP leaders for their consistent consultation with her before making decisions regarding Mandya. “When the Prime Minister told me that the BJP needs me and requested me not to leave the party, I have to honour him,” she said.
Sumalatha emphasided her attachment to Mandya, referring to herself as the district’s ‘daughter-in-law,’ and rejected offers from the BJP to contest from elsewhere. She said some of her supporters also wanted her to join Congress.
“But a senior Congress leader said the party never felt the need of Sumalatha in the party — neither earlier nor now or in future. How can a person with self-esteem ever wish to go to Congress after listening to these words,” the MP said.
