Mandya will define Congress-JD (S) ties

Mandya became the key constituency of the state not just due to the candidacy of Ambareesh's actor wife Sumalatha.

All eyes are on Mandya, which is called the sugar bowl of Karnataka.
The Mandya Lok Sabha seat with eight assembly constituencies, spread across the entire district and some parts of neighbouring Mysuru district, always had a starry fight during previous elections. For three consecutive terms, voters here had sent Congress leader and Kannada superstar Ambareesh to parliament. After him, it was Kannada actress Ramya, who won the by-election in 2013.
However, this time Mandya became the key constituency of the state not just due to the candidacy of Ambareesh's actor wife Sumalatha, but also because of the political turmoil it witnessed after the announcement of the election.
Soon after the election process started, Sumalatha contacted the Congress leadership and expressed her interest in contesting from her deceased husband's constituency.
However, because of the Janata Dal (S)-Congress alliance, the constituency was given to the JD (S) as part of the seat-sharing deal. The JD (S) announced Nikhil Kumaraswamy, son of Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and grandson of former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, as its candidate. Later, Sumalatha entered the fray as an Independent candidate.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, which never had a strong presence in the constituency, announced its support for Sumalatha, looking for an opportunity to grab some support.
Things changed fast after Sumalatha entered the fray. Many Congress workers, including local leaders, switched side to the BJP, expressing their anger against "gifting" the constituency to the JD (S), which was the Congress' main opponent in the constituency for years. Sympathy to Ambareesh's widow also worked in Sumalatha's favour.
In Mandya, the Congress has been finding it hard to rein in its cadres, who publicly carry party flags, to support Sumalatha. This has irked the chief minister, who told the media that some people on his side are joining the BJP side to defeat his son.
However, after interference from national leaders, the Congress state unit had warned the partymen and put them into action.
In Gajjalagere, en route to Bengaluru, there was a huge crowd, holding the flags of the Congress, the BJP and even the JD (S). Throwing flowers, over the passing vehicles and cheering at everybody, hundreds of people were waiting for Sumalatha and Darshan, Kannada superstar who is campaigning for his godfather's widow.
The crowd gathered from 4pm grew gradually by 7pm to block the traffic on the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway for more than three hours until the police came and dispersed them.
However, the JD (S), which holds all the eight assembly constituencies, hopes that the people who come to see the film stars won't turn out into votes. "They are bringing people from outside to show crowds to the media. "The media shows only Sumalatha's election rallies. They are completely biased. But after May 23, they will know the reality," said Sreedhar, a JD (S) councilor.
At Kalikamba temple, from where Nikhil Kumaraswamy started his poll campaign in Mandya assembly constituency on Monday, the Congress had a notable presence. People wearing scarves and hats with the flags of both the JD (S) and the Congress were jubilant to welcome their candidate. Congress leaders were also on board the campaign vehicle, which was a public declaration of unity.
The Congress has also warned its local leaders of strict action if they attend election campaign of Sumalatha. A BJP leader claimed that the Congress has already ousted seven block presidents for campaigning for the rival candidate. And Guru, a Youth Congress leader, said the party would likely take action after the polls.
Nikhil, who had acted in three movies, has learnt the lessons of politics like it's in his blood. He stops the campaign vehicle on the roadside to greet people, finds time to talk to them and smiles at everybody.
Sumalatha also is not weak in keeping the public engaged. At every stop, she reminds the public about her deceased husband and his love for the constituency.
The starry fight draws crowd across the constituency. But in whose favour the votes turn will only be known after the results are out on May 23.
Most decisive constituency for the alliance
More than a prestige issue for the JD (S), the Mandya poll has become a decisive factor in Karnataka politics. In a constituency where the JD (S) has clear majority and the BJP has a weak presence, Nikhil Kumaraswamy's victory would mean the Congress turned its votes in favour of the BJP candidate to defeat the chief minister's son. This would destroy the trust between the allies.
For the BJP, Mandya had been an elusive area all these years and the party is trying to enter the constituency through Sumalatha's popularity. If this technique doesn't work, that would mean they will never gain the constituency. It was only in the last election, the party managed to achieve a six-digit in its votes.
Most decisive constituency
More than a prestige issue for the JD (S), the Mandya poll has become a decisive factor in Karnataka politics. In a constituency where the JD (S) has clear majority and the BJP has a weak presence, Nikhil Kumaraswamy's loss would mean the Congress turned its votes in favour of the BJP candidate to defeat the chief minister's son. This would destroy the trust between the allies.
For the BJP, Mandya had been an elusive area all these years and the party is trying to enter the constituency through Sumalatha's popularity. If this technique doesn't work, that would mean they will never gain the constituency.
anuwarrier@khaleejtimes.com
 
 

• India