Mandya MP’s photo in flexes welcoming Shah creates buzz

The fight between Congress and JD(S) played a vital role in Sumalatha’s win in the JD(S) stronghold in the old Mysuru region.

Independent Mandya MP Sumalatha Ambareesh’s photo appearing in flexes welcoming union home minister Amit Shah to the district on Friday has sparked speculation about her joining the BJP, people aware of developments said.

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They added that the flexes were installed by BJP leader Induvalu Sachidananda.

During the last Parliamentary elections in 2019, the BJP did not field its candidate in Mandya in support of Sumalatha. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also appealed to voters to support Sumalatha during the election campaign in 2019.

The fight between Congress and JD(S) played a vital role in Sumalatha’s win in the JD(S) stronghold in the old Mysuru region.

Adding more to the rumours, Shah on Friday said that Karnataka contributed 26 MPS from the state, including Sumalatha.

During the 2019 elections, Sumalatha’s close aide and Congress youth leader Induvalu Sachidananda supported and campaigned for her openly, which resulted in Congress dismissing him for anti-party activity.

In the last week of November, Sachidananda joined BJP in Bengaluru.

The above-cited people said Sachidananda is eyeing a BJP MLA ticket from Srirangapatna, and the party leadership has also agreed.

‘’All the party workers have love and honour towards MP Sumalatha. Hence, we have put up a photo of her,‘’ BJP leader Induvalu Sachidananda said.

In November, BJP MLC C P Yogeshwar said that Sumalatha would join BJP during Shah’s visit to Mandya. He had also hinted at operation lotus in Mandya, saying many top leaders, including the former and present MLAs, would join BJP in the coming days.

Sumalatha was not available for comment.

Mandya is a strong bastion of the JD(S) party and is dominated by the Vokkaligas. During the last assembly elections in 2018, JD(S) candidates won all seven seats in the region. However, KR Pete MLA Narayana Gowda joined BJP through ‘operation lotus’, when 17 MLAs from the Congress–JD(S) coalition government in 2019 were toppled.

The BJP is trying hard to gain more seats in the assembly elections from the old Mysuru region and is organising many functions. The BJP had planned to gather 100,000 people for Shah’s visit. On Friday, Shah inaugurated a mega-dairy in Gejjalagere, constructed for ₹260 crores, which is the second largest in the state.

Apart from this, the party high command has entrusted district in-charge ministers C N Ashwath Narayana, Narayana Gowda, V Somanna and S T Somashekar to organise more programmes in the coming months to strengthen the party by inviting national leaders, including Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

As part of strengthening the party, the BJP leadership has also planned to construct the Ram temple at Ramadevara hills in Ramanagara, the neighbouring district of Mandya. Ramanagara district minister Ashwath Narayana recently told reporters that the state government, in the next budget, would sanction grants for a temple on the lines of Ayodhya.