‘I was not invited to..’: Sumalatha Ambareesh blames JD(S), HD Kumaraswamy reacts

One of Karnataka's high-profile seats, Mandya, recorded the highest voter turnout in the state in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections.

Published on: Apr 27, 2024, 16:44:26 IST

By HT News Desk

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Former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy and BJP leader Sumalatha Ambareesh blamed each other for the absence of the latter in the NDA poll campaign in Karnataka’s Mandya. Sumalatha Ambareesh who recently joined the BJP was reportedly not seen in the poll campaign which was headed by the Janata Dal (Secular) in Mandya where HD Kumaraswamy contested.

‘I was not invited to..’: Sumalatha Ambareesh blames JD(S), Kumaraswamy reacts

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Speaking to reporters, HD Sumalatha Ambareesh said, “The JD(S) did not invite or ask me to participate in the poll campaign at Mandya. A few people in the JD(S) thought I was unnecessary to win the elections. After Kumaraswamy visited my house, nobody got in touch with me for anything.”

However, HD Kumaraswamy denied the allegations of Sumalatha. “I personally visited her house and sought her support to win the elections. What else does she need?” asked the JD(S) second-in-chief.

One of Karnataka's high-profile seats, Mandya, recorded the highest voter turnout in the state in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections. 81.4% of voters used their democratic right from the Mandya Lok Sabha seat.

In the 2019 general elections, Sumalatha defeated Kumaraswamy’s son, Nikhil, and won with the 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.

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