Nikhil Kumaraswamy Likely To Contest Lok Sabha Elections From Mandya

Nikhil Kumaraswamy, son of former Chief Minister and JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy, is likely to run for the Lok Sabha elections from the Mandya constituency. Following a meeting with party leaders in Mandya on Friday, Kumaraswamy announced plans to persuade Nikhil to contest from Mandya, with an official announcement scheduled for March 25.

JDS is forming an alliance with the BJP for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, with JDS candidates set to contest from Hassan, Mandya, and Kolar constituencies. The Congress has already named its candidate for Mandya, Venkataramane Gowda, also known as Star Chandru, who has begun campaigning.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Nikhil Kumaraswamy was defeated by independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh. After her victory in Mandya, Sumalatha supported the BJP and campaigned for them in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections. Although Sumalatha desired to contest from Mandya as a BJP candidate in the upcoming elections, it seems unlikely as the BJP will not contest from Mandya due to its alliance with JDS.

While Mandya was once a stronghold of the JDS, the Congress secured six seats in the region during the 2023 Assembly elections and aims to win the Mandya Lok Sabha seat as well.