Mandya Lok Sabha: Sumalatha Ambareesh to contest as Independent candidate

Bengaluru, Mar 18: Sumalatha Ambareesh, wife of late Congress leader and former union minister MH Ambareesh, to contest as Independent candidate from Mandya Lok Sabha constituency. She would file nomination on March 20.

In a press conference attended by Sandalwood actors and producers, Sumalatha put a full stop to all speculations regarding her political move in the Mandya parliamentary constituency.

Sumalatha said, "I will contest from Mandya as an independent candidate in Lok Sabha election. "I am not a politician, but a people's servant. I want to take forward Ambareesh's vision for Mandya."

"Everybody I have met in Mandya has told me the faith they had in him (MH Ambareesh),they will transfer that to me. That way we can keep memory of him alive. The decision I have taken if it hurts anyone,I apologise. I am taking this step to continue his legacy," she said.

Asked if she would invite Bollywood and Sandalwood stars for the campaign, she said, "I have not invited anybody, I believe in people."

Sumalatha Ambareesh has been touring Mandya district for over a week, meeting supporters of Ambareesh. On Sunday, she campaigned in all the wards of Mandya city

A day before former minister Cheluvarayaswamy, who was in JDS before joining Congress, urged his followers to support Sumalatha Ambareesh. He reportedly instructed all party workers in Mandya to support her and urged them to participate when Sumalatha submits her nominations on March 20.

Sumalatha, who met former external affairs minister and now BJP leader S M Krishna last week, said that she would announce her decision on March 18.

Chief Minister HD Kumawaswamy's son, Nikhil Kumawaswamy's candidacy from Mandya has disgruntled the Congress party workers and former JDS leaders. Under the seat-sharing pact between the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress, the Mandya constituency has gone to the JDS and the Congress party had declined to support Sumalatha's candidacy for Mandya.