BENGALURU: Former Mandya MP and actor Sumalatha Ambareesh has said she will work towards strengthening BJP in Mandya, a region where the party has a very limited presence.
“I want to build BJP in Mandya, where the party is weak. BJP in Mandya needs strong leaders to build the party,” she said. The party had for years placed Assembly constituencies in Mandya district in the C category, indicating that the party is weak in these seats and the party stood third most of the time.
Sumalatha, who served as an independent MP in the last Lok Sabha term, joined BJP in April this year. But she was not fielded in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Despite this setback, she remains optimistic and dedicated to her new role in BJP. “I am happy to be working for BJP,” she said.
Her decision to align with BJP marked a significant development in the political dynamics of Mandya, a constituency traditionally dominated by JDS and Congress.
In the recent Lok Sabha polls, where JDS and BJP had an alliance, JDS state president HD Kumaraswamy contested from the Mandya seat and won comfortably.
Sumalatha is the wife of late actor and politician Ambareesh. Sumalatha’s entry into politics was seen as a continuation of her husband’s legacy.
She aims to leverage her local support to strengthen the party’s organisational structure. She is emphasising on cultivating strong leaders within the local BJP units to address the party’s weaknesses in the region.