File Photo: BJP National President JP Nadda with Independent Lok Sabha MP Sumalatha Ambareesh during a meeting, in New Delhi, Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024.
PTI Photo
New Delhi: Mandya Lok Sabha member Sumalatha Ambareesh is scheduled to meet BJP national president J P Nadda here on Monday amid speculation that she will be fielded as the saffron party candidate from Chikballapur constituency in the coming elections.
Sumalatha, who arrived in the national capital on Sunday, said she came following the request from Nadda to discuss state politics. However, she refused to comment whether she would seek BJP ticket from Chikballapur.
With sitting BJP member from Chikballapur B N Bache Gowda quitting electoral politics, former minister Dr K Sudhakar and Yelahanka BJP MLA S R Vishwanath’s son Alok are lobbying for BJP ticket.
Since Mandya, represented by Sumalatha, has gone to BJP’s alliance partner JD(S), the MP has been requesting BJP leaders to give her the ticket from an alternative seat.
Sumalatha won the Mandya segment in 2019 Lok Sabha polls as an Independent candidate backed by BJP, by defeating Nikhil Kumaraswamy of JD(S).
“The BJP top leadership summoned her to the national capital to seek her opinion on whether she is keen on contesting from Chikballapur, which has a sizable Telugu-speaking voters. Since Congress is planning to field Raksha Ramaiah, a youth leader from Balija community, the BJP is planning to field Sumalatha, who belongs to the same community,” said a BJP leader.
The constituency also has a sizable number of Vokkaliga voters.
“If the party fields Sumalatha from Chikballapur, the BJP will ask former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy to campaign for her. Since Kumaraswamy unsuccessfully contested from this constituency against former chief minister Veerappa Moily in 2014, he has a hold on this segment. The BJP leaders will ask Sumalatha to campaign for the JD(S) candidate in Mandya,” said the leader.
Though BJP leaders initially offered this seat to alliance partner JD(S), Kumaraswamy has been demanding the Kolar seat.