Mysore/Mysuru: With speculations doing the rounds that Mandya independent MP Sumalatha Ambarish, who joined the BJP recently, has remained neutral with the Mandya seat going to JD(S) as per seat sharing agreement between BJP and JD(S), the MP said that her supporters are campaigning for the NDA candidate in Mandya.

Addressing a press meet at the BJP office in Chamarajapuram here yesterday, Sumalatha clarified that her supporters have not remained neutral and are instead campaigning for the NDA candidate in Mandya.

Stating that she joined BJP out of her own will, she said that she was willing to campaign wherever the BJP High Command asks her to do so. Maintaining that she joined BJP as she was very much impressed with the works of PM Modi, she said she left her Constituency for the sake of  BJP-JD(S) coalition as part of NDA in the State.

Pointing out that coalition candidate H.D. Kumaraswamy had come to her residence in Bengaluru early this month seeking her support and to forget whatever has happened in the past, the MP said that she had responded positively and accordingly, her supporters are campaigning for the Mandya NDA candidate. 

Replying to a question on actor Darshan’s campaign for Mandya Congress candidate Venkataramanegowda (Star Chandru), she said that it was Darshan’s personal decision and she has nothing to do with it.

“Darshan had voluntarily campaigned for me in Mandya during the 2019 LS polls when I had contested as an independent candidate. But now, I cannot direct Darshan to campaign for a particular candidate as he is competent to take his own decision. It can be recalled that Darshan had campaigned for both BJP and Congress candidates in Mandya in the last Assembly elections. It is left to him for whom to campaign,” she said.

Referring to the murder of student Neha Hiremath in Hubballi, she took strong exception to some photos of the late student going viral in social media, which is purportedly aimed at  character assassination of the deceased girl. Asserting that drawing religion to the incident is wrong, she demanded stern punishment for the accused.

MLA T.S. Srivatsa, City BJP President L. Nagendra, Party leaders Mohankumar, Cable Mahesh, Maheshraje Urs, Vasanth and others were present.