Sumalatha set in to create history from Mandya ?

Sumalatha,multilingual film star turned Independent candidate from Mandya Lok Sabha constituency has become subject matter for hot discussion in political circles these days while the mammoth turn out of fans during her filing of nomination papers last week has sent shock waves to the top brass of ruling Janata Dal Secular party.

image source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

All these days she had preferred to be in the side wings of main stream politics as long as her late husband,actor MH Ambareesh played an active role.But after his demise a few months back,just like typical movie style she declared her intention of plunging into real politics only to serve the people of Mandya.Her defense for such a sudden decision was:The local people have heaped tremendous love,faith and affection to Ambareesh during his life time and the same was replicated in multiple folds when he passed away.Perhaps the only way to pay it back is to seek an opportunity to serve them.

On the face of it the statement sounds like expression of an instant feeling.But if one were to recollect the former heroine's behind the screen role whenever the late hero happened to be a state Minister,Member of Parliament and Union Minister you don't have to think twice that it was a very well thought,calculated and strategic dialogue.

In fact the late film star's political career began with a stumble as he experienced a humiliating defeating at Ramanagar Assembly constituency on the ruling Janata Dal ticket during the 1997 bye polls.The elections were necessitated following the resignation of sitting MLA HD Devegowda who moved over to the nation's capital to become the Prime Minister.Interestingly the very same MH Ambareesh who had failed to become an MLA was elected to the Lok Sabha from Mandya constituency again on a Janata Dal party ticket in 1998.However his Janata Dal loyalty was short lived and joined the Indian National Congress to become a Congress MP from the same Mandya constituency during 1999 and 2004 general elections.

image source : greatandhra.com

During his last term as an MLA he also became a minister,fell ill and got treated at a high tech Singapore based hospital.The way he insisted and ensured that the state government paid his medical bill of around 1.5 crores gave room for a new controversy.The very same voters who elected him continuously also have a tale of woes after electing him each time.He became out of reach to the electorate after election,never bothered to keep in touch with the local leaders nor did anything worthwhile to be remembered for long, confess the local people.

But once he passed away in a Bengaluru hospital,lakhs of them poured in from Mandya and neighboring districts to pay their last respects.Even his mortal remains was airlifted to Mandya for the remaining people to pay their last tribute.Perhaps Sumalatha knows this background better than anyone else and is playing her cards as a shrewd,going to be politician.

In the 08:20 seat sharing arrangement of 28 Lok Sabha constituencies between the Janata Dal Secular and Congress Mandya has been allotted to the JDS when the late actor's fans were desperately awaiting it to be let out for the Congress and ticket handed over to Sumalatha.But now it looks that this very adverse situation itself has turned out to be a boon to Sumalatha who perhaps never expected the switch over to political innings to be such a smooth ride!

As of now she has the sympathy of being a woman,widowed and denied Congress support/ticket to contest her maiden election.The party may have handed over the seat to the JDS but the Congress cadre has refused to budge nor yield to any disciplinary threat or repeated warnings.In fact the mood in the Congress workers appears to be jubilant and the social networking sites are all abuzz with unprecedented sympathy and support to Sumalatha now also known as Akka(Sister) and Amma(Mother).

The Bharatiya Janata Party has officially declared its support to the Independent candidate Sumalatha in Mandya Lok Sabha constituency.It may be recalled here that the BJP candidate DR Siddaramaiah,former bureaucrat turned politician and political novice garnered 2,44,404 votes in the bye elections held during the fag end of 2018.The vote share of the BJP had tripled in comparison to the 86,993 votes bagged by Prof B Shivalingaiah during the May 2014 Parliamentary elections.

In that way the prospects of Sumalatha look brighter as even the Janata Dal Secular workers are upset over the choice of Nikhil Kumaraswamy,son of HD Kumaraswamy,Chief Minister and grandson of HD Devegowda,former prime minister instead of supporting the candidature of Sumalatha.If at all Sumalatha wins from Mandya she will be creating a new history in the state as no one has won as an Independent candidate in the state to the Lok Sabha in the last five decades.

There are only a few instances in the state's electoral history when Independent candidates made it to victory.In 1957 Murigeppa Siddappa Sugandhi won from Vijapur North Parliamentary constituency as an Independent candidate by defeating MG Vaman of the Indian National Congress by a margin of 10,986 votes.Dinakar Desai,well known Kannada poet,writer and educationist had triumphed from Canara(Karawar) Lok Sabha constituency during 1967 general elections in spite of pro Indira Gandhi Congress wave across the country.Interestingly he defeated the same MG Vaman of the INC by a margin of 27,297 votes.

Probably you may find similar such instances in other regions of the country but the number of such Independents crossing the victory bridge is not all that big to boast off.These days you have Independent candidates contesting right from the Gram Panchayat,Taluk Panchayat,District Panchayat level to local bodies,Assemblies and the Parliament as well.

But if you were to make a list of the successful candidates at the Lok Sabha stage,it hasn't begun at all since long in many of the states.And if at all Sumalatha is able to make it she will go into the pages of Parliamentary democracy as the first Independent woman supported by the BJP to win in Mandya and in the state after a gap of five decades!

-Hindusthan Samachar/Manohar Yadavatti

blog handled by Infinity Techsyst Dharwad,Karnataka,India