Actor-turned-politician Sumalatha finds herself at a crossroads ahead of LS polls
She now seems to have lost her political foothold in the constituency, where the sympathy factor for Ambarish no longer holds sway
Actor-turned-politician and sitting Mandya MP Sumalatha Ambarish finds herself at the crossroads in her political journey, as the BJP has forged an alliance with the JD(S) and conceded the constituency to its alliance partner amid her bid to secure a BJP ticket from Mandya.
Sumalatha, who actively supported the BJP in the Karnataka assembly elections last year, made concerted efforts to secure the party's nomination. She lobbied hard for it and even met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Though now it is certain that she can’t be fielded as BJP candidate from Mandya, Sumalatha is yet to make an official statement about her future course of action. As per reports, she will make her plans clear at a press conference on Saturday. Sources suggest that she is determined to represent Mandya. However, speculations are also rife that she is waiting for other opportunities, such as becoming an MLC on a BJP ticket.
Declining clout
After Sumalatha expressed willingness to join the party, the BJP entrusted her with the responsibility of eight assembly constituencies within her Mandya LS constituency to ensure the party’s victory in the Karnataka assembly polls last year. However, she failed to ensure victory of a single BJP candidate in the eight constituencies. Six of them were won by the Congress, one by a Congress-backed independent candidate, and one by a JD(S) candidate.
Consequently, the BJP central leadership perceived her as lacking control in the constituency, while local Congress leaders, who initially supported her, grew disenchanted due to her demeanour and inclination towards the BJP. She now seems to have lost her political foothold in the constituency, where the sympathy factor for Ambarish no longer holds sway, as noted by Raje Gowda, a Congress leader from Mandya, while talking to The Federal.
Sumalatha had the opportunity to secure a Congress ticket from Bengaluru North but remained uninterested as she waited for a decision from the BJP regarding the ticket from Mandya. Moreover, her efforts to align with the BJP has distanced her from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC chief DK Shivakumar.
Her dilemma left her with no option but to contest as an independent candidate from Mandya again. However, the political landscape has changed since 2019, making it unlikely for an independent candidate to win. Nonetheless, she plans to hold a meeting with her followers on Saturday (March 30) which will provide a clear picture of how she intends to move forward.
BN Subrahmanya, a film critic, emphasised that emotions do not dictate politics and it is a different game altogether. He stated, “Sumalatha fought elections after her husband Ambarish's death, and sympathy played a major role in her victory. Mandya was also the birthplace of the veteran actor. However, the trends have changed now and we cannot predict the voters’ mindset.”
JD(S) strategy
After being at daggers with Sumalatha in the last general elections, HD Kumaraswamy has now resorted to a soft approach towards her, saying, “Ambareesh and I were friends. We’re not enemies. I believe she'll support me.”
Kumaraswamy now intends to avenge his son’s defeat from Mandya by planning to contest Lok Sabha polls from there as the NDA candidate and field his son Nikhil from his Channapatna assembly constituency in the bypoll.
Sympathy wave
Contesting as an independent candidate, Sumalatha emerged victorious in the last Lok Sabha elections with direct backing from the BJP and tacit support from the Congress, defeating JD(S)-Congress candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy. Her triumph was attributed to the sympathy generated in the aftermath of her actor husband Ambarish’s demise.
The BJP refrained from fielding a candidate and supported Sumalatha, given the sympathy wave for her and the absence of a strong party base. The remarks of Nikhil’s father, HD Kumaraswamy, against Sumalatha outraged women and Ambarish's supporters, contributing to her victory with the indirect support of Siddaramaiah and disgruntled JD(S) leaders.
