Mandya: Even as the contest between Actress Sumalatha, wife of late actor-turned politician Ambarish, who is contesting as an-independent candidate and JD(S) candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy, son of Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, is getting hotter by the day, the Congress on Sunday expelled its six office-bearers of the district for anti-party activities and for campaigning for Sumalatha in violation of the party diktat.

The expelled leaders are Aravind Kumar, District Youth Congress Vice-President, Chandrashekar, Melukote Block Congress President, Sharath Ramanna, Nagamangala Congress President, Vijaya Kumar, Mandya Assembly constituency Congress President, Krishnegowda, Malavalli Block Congress Vice-President and Mahadev Prasad, General Secretary of Malavalli Block Congress.

The party on Friday, had suspended leader Induvalu Sachidananda from the party, for publicly campaigning for Sumalatha, in spite of the party’s instructions to keep away from her campaign.

With the Congress ceding the seat to JD(S) in a seat-sharing pact, many Congress leaders from Mandya district, who are upset over the party’s decision, are said to be campaigning for Sumalatha in a open revolt.

Meanwhile, reacting to his expulsion, Induvalu Sachidananda said that the JD(S) leaders are forcing the Congress to expel party leaders who are supporting Sumalatha.

Maintaining that the people of Mandya will teach a lesson to the JD(S) candidate, he said that Mandya people have taken this election as a prestige issue and will not vote for the JD(S) candidate who is an outsider.