Sumalatha to make her stand clear on contesting LS elections tomorrow

Bengaluru, Apr 2 (PTI) Independent MP Sumalatha Ambareesh has said she will make her decision on contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections public at Kalikamba Temple in the district headquarter town of Mandya on Wednesday.

In a long post on the micro-blogging site 'X' on Tuesday, the actress-turned-politician who won 2019 elections with BJP's backing from Mandya, asked people to gather at the temple on Wednesday.

"Many are waiting for my stance on contesting elections. Serious thought has already been given in this regard. Neither your favorite 'Rebel Star' Ambareesh nor myself or anyone from our family are ever clinging to power," Sumalatha said.

She said she will discuss with her voters before taking a final call.

"Tomorrow (April 3) at 10 AM in the Kalikamba Temple, I will offer pooja, then in the temple premises I will clarify my stand before all of you and announce my decision regarding the Mandya Lok Sabha elections," the wife of eminent Kannada actor-turned-politician late Ambareesh, said.

She said her son Abhishek Ambareesh and Kannada film actor Darshan Thoogudeepa will be present when she will make her decision public.

Thursday is the last day of filing nomination papers for the first phase of polls in Karnataka, where polling will be held in 14 constituencies on April 26. For the second phase, polling in the remaining 14 constituencies will take place on May 7.

The BJP and its ally Janata Dal (Secular) had requested her not to contest the election this time assuring her a 'bright political future.' JD(S) second-in-command and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy is contesting as the NDA candidate this time from Mandya, which is considered as his party’s fortress.

Sumalatha had won the 2019 Assembly election defeating former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda's grandson and Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy. PTI GMS GMS SS