MYSURU: Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil, who is contesting from Mandya against Sumalatha Ambareesh, on Thursday discounted the influence of star-power on elections and said that only a purely development-driven agenda would decide who gets elected.
The fight for Mandya is shaping up to become one of the hottest fights this election with Sumalatha roping in film stars like Yash and Darshan to campaign for her. However, Nikhil, an actor himself, has chosen to give film stars a miss. Speaking to The New Indian Express, Nikhil said he was banking on the family’s long connect with Mandya and the promise of development if he is elected.
“People gathering to see film stars will not translate into votes. Sumalatha has not deterred me. Karnataka has not had cinema stars becoming successful politicians, while Rajkumar had the qualities, he was not interested. The furore created by film stars campaigning for Sumalatha is created by the media as they have never been in favour of JD(S),” he said.
Responding to a question on how the fight was being viewed as an outsider, standing against Sumalatha’s campaign of ‘Mandya pride’, Nikhil said his family was connected to Mandya for decades. “I am not an outsider. My family roots are in Hassan, but we have earned the love of people in Mandya and across the region. My parents have contested and won from outside Hassan. It is about dedication to work.”
Nikhil also lashed out at the BJP and accused them of resorting to tactics like income-tax raids to derail his campaign. On comments made about Sumalatha by his own party members, he said that he did not support them. “I am against personal attacks against anyone including Sumalatha. I want polls to be held in a dignified manner,” he said.
Nikhil said that he was aware of a feeling of anti-incumbency against some JD(S) legislators, leading him to bypass them and approach the people directly. On Congress leaders supporting Sumalatha, Nikhil said that loyal Congressmen were not part of this group.
In all the drama surrounding the fight for Mandya, Nikhil said he was hurt by the rift between him and Abhishek Ambareesh. The duo, once friends, have been having some difficulty marred by personal attacks, which Nikhil feels could be permanent.
I-T sleuths raid Nikhil’s hotel room, aide’s house
MYSURU: Income tax sleuths raided the residence of Congress leader M S Atmananda in Mandya on Wednesday. The officials questioned the Congress leader and his family members about the source of their income. Sources said Rs 10 lakh cash and documents were seized. Atmananda has been given the responsibility to work on Nikhil’s campaign. So, as news about the raid spread, Atmananda’s supporters protested outside his house condemning the raid. Meanwhile, IT officials also carried out a search at a private hotel were JD(S) candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy was staying. The officers visited the hotel and also searched other rooms were his supporters were staying. The team of 25 officers conducted the raid. Sources said that the authorities went empty hand as Nikhil was campaigning in Pandavapura taluk.