MYSURU: Election fervour in Mandya Lok Sabha constituency has gained intensity as Sumalatha was joined by her son Abhishek during her campaign tour while JD(S) candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy too launched his campaign in a big way.
The star candidates are eyeing the constituency, and have hit the roads to use their celebrity appeal to woo voters.
Actor Sumalatha started her campaign with Abhishek from Malavalli. Abhishek, who has returned after shooting for a movie abroad, drove with his mother to Malavalli, the ancestral place of his father, the late Sandalwood star Ambareesh.
Sumalatha spoke of Ambareesh’s childhood connection with Malavalli and introduced Abhishek as the grandson of Huche Gowda. Abhishek enthralled the crowd by delivering dialogues of his father at Hadle Circle. He said they need to take a step forward and will not go back on their decision to fight the election. Pointing out that election battle is not new to him as he had campaigned with his father in the past, he said people’s support has boosted his confidence.
She thanked the people of Mandya for the love and affection showered on the family, and said she will be with them till her last breath. She added that it was their overwhelming response that has given her the energy to fight the election, as the youth is fed up of politics riddled with vengeance, betrayal and caste divisions. There is need for leaders to rise above all this and practise ethical politics to serve the people, she said.
Despite Congress minister
D K Shivakumar’s pressure on his party workers to support Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil as the JD(S)-Congress candidate, a large number of them chose to welcome Sumalatha. She also visited the houses of Congress leaders and went to temples with them and Ambareesh’s fans. Many women gathered to greet her at Aalagur village.
Reiterating that she will announce her decision to contest the polls soon, Sumalatha hinted that many members of the film fraternity will campaign for her.
Nikhil, too, starts campaigning
JD(S) candidate Nikhil also started his campaign, visiting many temples with party leaders. Thanking people for the reception, he said their family has always sought divine intervention for their success. Nikhil said both he and Abhishek are busy actors, and that politics should not spoil their relationship. Calling JD(S) workers soldiers who will work for the polls, he said they will not use actors to campaign.