Crisis in Karnataka Congress: Ambareesh, wife to join BJP
Ahead of the 2018 assembly polls in Karnataka, many disgruntled Congress leaders are deserting the party to join hands with the BJP. Sources now suggest that another Vokkaliga heavyweight and mass leader from the Mandya region, Ambareesh is all set to join the BJP. While news of him, quitting the Congress has been doing the rounds, Oneindia has learnt from sources that he will bring his wife Sumalatha on board when he joins the BJP. The actor-turned-politician hopes to launch his wife into electoral politics on a BJP ticket.
Sources suggest that Sumalatha, the 53-year-old actress is in the race to contest assembly polls from the star-studded Rajarajeswari Nagar constituency in Bengaluru. Sumalatha is a well-known name in the film circles and the star couple hopes that the locality that houses dozens of celebrities helps Sumalatha get a foothold. Sources from the BJP however, suggest that Sumalatha's entry into electoral politics may be a precondition for Ambareesh to join the party.
While
the
BJP
maintains
that
it
was
too
premature
to
confirm
if
Sumalatha
would
be
their
candidate
since
Ambareesh
has
not
made
his
stand
official,
Sumalatha's
social
media
activity
may
provide
some
proof.
An
active
user
of
social
media,
Sumalatha
Ambareesh
has
been
vocal
about
her
Anti-BJP
and
anti-Modi
stand
for
years.
She
had
criticised
demonetisation
drive
heavily
and
her
timeline
was
filled
with
debates
on
issues
with
BJP
leaders.
In
the
last
few
days,
however,
most
anti-BJP
and
anti-Modi
posts
have
been
deleted
from
Sumalatha's
timeline.
Leaders
from
either
party
believe
that
it
is
an
attempt
aimed
at
cosying
up
to
the
BJP.
Sources suggest that A Ravi, Tulsi Muniraju, Ramachandra, Cheluvarayaswami are also in the race to contest from the constituency apart from Sumalatha if Ambareesh joins the BJP. Sources from the BJP suggest that no clear picture will emerge till November. A central leadership team of the BJP is expected to visit the state after the Gujarat polls and decide on the candidates.
OneIndia News