Two days after announcing her decision to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate, Sumalatha, wife of deceased actor-politician Ambareesh, was in Mandya on Wednesday, 20 March, to file her nomination at the District Collector’s office.
However, before Sumalatha could even reach the DC office to file her nomination, a procession of her supporters thronged the office raising slogans in support of Sumalatha, holding pictures of Ambareesh and waving Congress flags.
Sumalatha was accompanied by Kannada film actors Yash and Darshan, who were also present at her candidate announcement earlier this week in Bengaluru.
Early in the morning, Sumalatha first travelled to Chamundeshwari temple near Mysore to seek blessings. She then returned to Mandya and met with Congress leader Chandrashekar, alias Amravathi Chandrashekar, a long-time supporter of Ambareesh, at his residence.
Sumalatha had become a roadblock for the Gowda family, which is preparing to launch its youngest member, Nikhil Gowda. But riding on the support enjoyed by her late husband, Sumalatha resolved not to back down from her decision to contest the polls.
'We Cannot Forget Ambareesh’s Contribution’: Congress Workers
Srinivas Seenappa, a Congress supporter and life-long resident of Mandya, said that despite Sumalatha not getting a Congress ticket, their hearts lay with Ambareesh’s family only.
“This is our private matter. We are from Congress and have been wokring for them for the last many years but now, we are supporting Sumalatha. Those seat-sharing agreements were made at the higher levels of the party. At the worker level, we are really troubled. That is why, we are rallying behind Sumalatha. Building schools, hospitals, community halls, roads in Mandya were all because of Ambareesh that is why we support him,Srinivas Seenappa to The Quint
“If we had not been unhappy, we wouldn’t have come out in support. We are still in the Congress party but we cannot forge the work Ambareesh did as an MP. He was the first one to reveal how much funds MPs get for development works. He also built a medical college in Mandya. He would spare time to talk to even a child,” Seenappa added.
Nagaraj from Srirangpatna, another Congress worker, said that Sumalatha had the support of all Congress foot soldiers in Mandya.
“We don’t know about their talks, the JD(S) has gone ahead and fielded their own candidate. Their discussions are at the CM level, they have not done anything for the lower levels, us party workers. We are in full support of Sumalatha and will ensure she wins from Mandya,” he said.
‘Expected Congress to put up a Fight for Mandya’: Sumalatha
Speaking at her press conference on Monday, 18 March, she said that she wanted to contest from the Congress, because her husband did, but was refused the seat.
“But I was told they [the Congress] were not in a situation to give me the seat. I expected the Congress to put up a fight; not for me, but many party workers and supporters of Ambareesh, who are facing an identity crisis.”Sumalatha
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