LS polls: In Mandya, it's Sumalatha factor, a shaky JD(S) and BJP's Hindutva push
Even as incumbent MP Sumalatha is to reveal if she will contest or not from Mandya, JD(S) seems shaky, while BJP tries to play HIndutva card in the constituency. And Congress tries to fish in troubled waters
By : Muralidhara Khajane
Update: 2024-04-02 13:31 GMT
With 25 days left for polling 14 of the 28 Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka, soaring mercury levels have coincided with the rise in political temperature in the high-profile Mandya Lok Sabha constituency.
This is largely due to the suspense created by the BJP-backed independent incumbent MP Sumalatha Ambareesh regarding who she will support in the LS polls. Playing her cards close to her chest, she has the Congress and BJP-JD(S) combine leaders on tenterhooks even as the last day for filing the nomination papers in the first phase of the elections is Thursday (April 4).
She is yet to make the grand reveal whether she supports the BJP-JD(S) alliance candidate in Mandya, former CM H D Kumaraswamy, or will contest as an Independent candidate like she did in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The BJP and its ally Janata Dal (Secular) requested she not contest the election this time, assuring her of a 'bright political future.'
Sumalatha's stand on April 3
On April 2, in a long post on the micro-blogging site 'X', the actress-turned-politician asked people to gather at the Kalikamba temple in the district headquarter town of Mandya on Wednesday.
"Tomorrow (April 3) at 10 AM in the Kalikamba Temple, I will offer pooja, then in the temple premises I will clarify my stand before all of you and announce my decision regarding the Mandya Lok Sabha elections," said the wife of eminent Kannada actor-turned-politician late Ambareesh.
The multi-lingual film actress-turned politician convened a meeting of her supporters at her Bengaluru residence on Sunday to decide her future course of action.
All eyes are now on Sumalatha's next course of action. She is said to be disappointed with the way the BJP treated her. In fact, the BJP supported Sumalatha in the previous Lok Sabha polls, and she backed the BJP in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly polls.
Sumalatha's relations with JD(S)
Swallowing his pride, Kumaraswamy, who is contesting from Mandya as part of a seat-sharing agreement with BJP, met Sumalatha to seek her support.
Kumaraswamy is all set to file his nomination on April 4. However, it is not lost on any party that any political move made by the incumbent MP can impact the electoral results. It is important to note that Sumalatha defeated Nikhil Kumaraswamy, son of the former chief minister, in a closely fought, high-decibel battle in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. She also had the tacit support of the Congress.
Recalling the way JD(S) leaders indulged in personal attacks against Sumalatha in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, a close aide of Mandya's incumbent MP told The Federal, “Sumalatha cannot forget the humiliation meted out to her by JD (S) leaders, which includes Kumaraswamy."
Congress fishes in troubled waters
Meanwhile, the ruling Congress party in Karnataka, which is trying to humble both BJP and JD(S) in the old Mysuru region, especially, Mandya, Mysuru and Chamarajanagar, is deploying every strategy in the book to pull Sumalatha to its side. And trying to exploit the situation politically.
Sumalatha herself admitted that she got the Congress's invitation in the poll run-up. Reacting to the ongoing political development, Congress chief of Karnataka, D K Shivakumar said that it is left to Sumalatha to show gratitude to those who had helped her in the past.
On whether the doors of Congress are still open to Sumalatha, the deputy chief minister said, “The party leaders have to consult grassroots workers, before taking a final call on any issue, especially pertaining to someone from the Opposition party showing interest in joining the party.”
He recalled how the Congress had tacitly supported her in the previous 2019 Lok Sabha polls, when she contested as an Independent candidate playing the Swabhimani (Self-esteem) card.
High-voltage battles in Mandya
The high drama being played out in the Mandya constituency is not new in this region, which is known for its volatile electoral battles.
The stakes for the JD(S) in this election are also high. Said a senior Congress leader, who was earlier closely associated with JD (S), “Whether it is Assembly or the Lok Sabha polls, Mandya always witnesses a high-voltage battle. Now the ‘sugar bowl’ of Karnataka is witnessing a prestigious battle with JD(S) deputy supremo Kumaraswamy entering the fray as NDA candidate. It is a question of survival for Kumaraswamy. If he fails to sail through even with the support of BJP, the very existence of JD (S) will be at stake."
The traditional rivals – Congress and JD (S) – have always shared the electoral spoils. Except for winning a by-election in 2019 from KR Pet assembly constituency, the BJP has not won any Lok Sabha or assembly seat in Mandya.
Displacing Vokkaliga identity with Hindutva
According to a political leader, who recently left the BJP and joined the Congress, winning Mandya constituency is important to BJP, as the saffron party wants to end Vokkaliga supremacy and imbed Hindutva ideology in the Sugar Bowl of Karnataka to gain supremacy over old Mysuru region. The political discourse in Mandya district has long been dictated by the Cauvery issue or by the Vokkaliga identity.
Citing the attempts by BJP in recent days to gain control over old Mysuru region, he said the party is leaving no stone unturned to claim its hold over Mandya. And gave the example of removal of a saffron flag in Keragodu village of Mandya district, which sparked a controversy.
Recently, a saffron flag with an image of Hanuman, which was flying from a 108-foot-tall flag post on government land in Keragodu village, about 12 km from the district headquarters, was replaced by the government with the national Tricolor.
Interestingly, JD(S) leader Kumaraswamy, who participated in the protest organised by BJP leadership, wore a saffron shawl, which did not go down well with JD(S) supremo and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda.
Congress leaders saw this flag controversy as a political gameplan by the BJP and its newfound political ally in the state to polarise voters before the Lok Sabha elections.
“BJP, used the Keragodu incident as a tool to try and convert Mandya into another Hindutva laboratory in the state, after experimenting with coastal Karnataka,” said Congress spokesperson Ayanuru Manjunath.
Flag row
The flag row is not the first sensitive issue to rock Mandya in recent years. In the run-up to the 2023 Assembly elections, BJP leaders had similarly tried to build a narrative around Uri Gowda and Dodda Gowda.
The BJP claimed that these Vokkaliga leaders had killed Tipu Sultan, the erstwhile ruler of Mysuru. They even staged a play with the help of Rangayana – the state-run theatre repertory in Mysuru. But the efforts failed to yield any dividend, as Vokkaliga seers condemned BJP’s move. Of course, JD(S) opposed the Uri Gowda Dodde Gowda grand narrative back then.
Lack of synergy
This leads to the issue about the lack of synergy between the two allies. The BJP-JD(S) alliance is yet to take off with the party functionaries on the ground.
“Yes, BJP and JD(S) are allies, but, how the party workers gel with each other and assure victory to alliance candidate Kumaraswamy is really the moot question,” observed a BJP functionary. He pointed out that the “alliance is yet to set foot on the ground firmly”.
Citing the displeasure expressed by JD(S) leaders during a recent core committee meeting, he noted that BJP workers are still recovering from Kumaraswamy's harsh criticism of its leadership. “It is difficult to bring in a proper synergy between the two parties at all levels,” he confessed.
However, according to senior BJP leaders, BJP’s top leaders, including Amit Shah and prime minister Narendra Modi are visiting Bengaluru to cement the differences between leaders of BJP and JD(S) at grassroots level and force them to work in unison.
Make or break JD(S)
Finally, a senior politician, who was with the Congress, JD(S) and BJP before distancing himself from electoral politics, summed up the political scenario in Mandya constituency.
“This Lok Sabha poll is mostly centered around the performance of the Union Government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and guarantee schemes. An electoral candidate’s ability, especially in Mandya matters around 50 per cent. However, I think, Sumalatha’s decision will make or break the JD(S) in Mandya.”