BENGALURU: The Mandya Lok Sabha seat could turn out to be a tricky constituency for coalition partners Congress and JD(S). While Congress leader D K Shivakumar has said that the party would offer the ticket to JD(S) as per their seat sharing agreement ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, ticket aspirant Sumalatha has dismissed the statement. “Shivakumar is just expressing his opinion,” she said.
Sumalatha, wife of late actor Ambareesh — popularly referred as rebel star — hinted at a possible rebellion if a ticket is denied to her. She told The New Indian Express that she was seeking a ticket “going by the people’s support”. “There is a lot to be achieved in terms of seat sharing between the two parties. I cannot jump the gun and come to the conclusion (that I will be offered a ticket),” she said.
She is confident that people of the constituency are backing her. “We have to take the legacy and dreams of Ambareesh forward, which is why I entered politics. I have decided to contest due to the demands
of people from Mandya,” she said.
Sumalatha, however, knows that the seat-sharing with respect to the constituency will be a tricky affair. “It will not be an easy decision for either of the parties,” she said.
She added that the only Congress leader she had met to discuss elections was coordination committee chairman Siddaramaiah. She said that Siddaramaiah has indicated that he could be helpless with respect to the issue due to the alliance. “I will have to fight to claim the seat,” he said.
On her possible response if Congress decides to let JD(S) contest from the constituency, she said that she would approach the people of Mandya and will take a decision based on what they say.