As the curtains prepare to fall on the public campaigning phase for the Mandya by-election, a whirlwind of events has unfolded. Incumbent MP Sumalatha Ambareesh, who recently defected to the BJP, has conspicuously skipped the campaign trail for NDA candidate HD Kumaraswamy. This absence has stirred a cauldron of curiosity, given her prior pledge to participate in Kumaraswamy’s concluding roadshow. The omission is particularly intriguing considering her history of rivalry with Kumaraswamy, who is seeking election from Mandya.
Interestingly, actor Darshan, a staunch supporter of Sumalatha’s 2019 independent campaign against Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil, has now shifted his allegiance to Star Chandru, the Congress candidate in Mandya. Kumaraswamy, while refraining from commenting on Sumalatha’s absence, took aim at Congress for ridiculing his emotional display. “I’m crying for my people. Only those who care for society understand the pain behind tears,” he asserted.
Meanwhile, in Hassan, JD(S) supremo and former PM HD Deve Gowda, while campaigning for his grandson Prajwal Revanna, played down Sumalatha’s “non-cooperation,” maintaining that it would not sway the outcome in Mandya. However, he expressed disappointment over the lack of cooperation from “certain BJP functionaries” in Mandya and Hassan, despite the parties’ alliance. “Sumalatha did not support the JD(S) candidate in Mandya, and former BJP MLA Preetham Gowda did not campaign in Hassan,” Gowda lamented.
In a contrasting vein, N Cheluvarayaswamy, the district in-charge minister of Mandya who is actively campaigning for Star Chandru, has cast aspersions on Kumaraswamy’s contributions to Mandya. He cited the unresolved Cauvery crisis as a glaring example. Cheluvarayaswamy also raised concerns about the potential influence of Kumaraswamy’s family over the district should he emerge victorious in Mandya.
As the campaign concludes, the Mandya by-election has presented a kaleidoscope of alliances and allegiances, with the outcome remaining tantalizingly uncertain.
