Will Reveal My Plans on March 18, Says Actress Sumalatha Ambareesh on Contesting from Mandya

Bengaluru: All set to take the political plunge, multi-lingual film actor Sumalatha said on Monday she will reveal on March 18 whether she would contest the upcoming Lok Sabha election from Mandya constituency in Karnataka.

Sumalatha, widow of celebrated Kannada actor Ambareesh, who was a three-time MP from Mandya, has disturbed the political equation with her insistence on contesting from the seat, upsetting calculations of ruling coalition partners Congress and JD(S).

"I believe that till the last minute anything can happen. Till it is officially announced, there is nothing to say this won't happen. I will let you know on March 18," Sumalatha told reporters in Mandya.

She urged people to not give credence to speculation that Congress leaders were persuading her to not contest from Mandya.

"Please don't pay heed to rumours about me unless I reveal it to you, given the fact that Mandya is one of the prestigious Lok Sabha seats, not only in Karnataka, but in the entire country," the actor added.

She said Congress strongman and water resources minister DK Shivakumar had requested her to not contest from Mandya. "Well, nobody can put pressure on me because they know who I am and what I am, but DK Shivakumar had met me with a suggestion that I should contest from somewhere else.

"He told me that since coalition dharma (with JD-S) was in place, Congress cannot retain Mandya. I too told him about my stand on this matter," Sumalatha said.

Having a substantial population of the dominant Vokkaliga community, Mandya is traditionally considered a JD(S) citadel.

The JD(S) has not only made Congress give up Mandya, but has also decided to field Nikhil Gowda, son of Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and third generation leader from the Gowda family, from the constituency.

Ambareesh, barring a brief stint in JD(S), had been associated with the Congress and was a minister of state for information and broadcasting in UPA-I dispensation.

Recently, JD(S) MLA and PWD minister HD Revanna said Sumalatha decided to enter politics even before a month had passed since her husband's demise.

While referring to the arrangements made by the state government for Ambareesh's funeral, Revanna said Sumalatha was also not grateful to Kumaraswamy what he did for her husband.

The Congress and BJP have slammed Revanna, son of former prime minister HD Deve Gowda and brother of the Chief Minister, for his comments.