Veteran actor Sumalatha, wife of late Congress MLA M.H. Ambareesh, made it clear on Monday that she would contest from Mandya constituency as an independent candidate in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
“Everybody I had met in Mandya told me that they would transfer the faith they had in him (Ambareesh) to me. Thus we can keep his memory alive. If my decision hurts anybody, I apologise. I am taking this step to continue his legacy,” Sumalatha told media in Bengaluru.
The actor had earlier said that she would contest the polls from Mandya in spite of the Congress leaving the seat for its ally, the Janata Dal (Secular). In the 2018 state polls, the JD(S) had won all the eight assembly segments under the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency.
Ambareesh, a former Congress MP, represented Mandya in the Lok Sabha thrice. Sumalatha had already started an aggressive election campaign in Mandya as the Congress's attempts to persuade her not to contest from the constituency failed. She has been touring the constituency and has covered 35 wards in Mandya City Municipal Council area alone.
Meanwhile, the actor's meeting with former chief minister S.M. Krishna on Friday has sparked speculation that the BJP would support her in the polls. BJP leaders, MLA Ashwathanarayan and C.P. Yogeshwar, had also met her a week ago.
