LS polls: Sumalatha Ambareesh to contest from Mandya seat as independent candidate

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], Mar 18 (ANI): Sumalatha Ambareesh, the veteran actor and wife of late former Congress lawmaker MH Ambareesh, on Monday announced that she would contest from Mandya parliamentary constituency as an independent candidate in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka.
In February, Sumalatha made headlines for declaring that she would contest Lok Sabha elections from Mandya - a seat her husband had represented both as Member of Parliament (MP) and Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA).
"Everybody I have met in Mandya has told me the faith they had in him (MH Ambareesh), they will transfer that to me. That way we can keep the memory of him alive. The decision, I have taken if it hurts anyone, I apologise. I am taking this step to continue his legacy," Sumalatha said at a press conference.
After Ambareesh's demise in November 2018, people of the constituency started pressurising Sumalatha to contest polls from Manyda seat.
Sumalatha who has been touring the constituency has covered 35 wards in Mandya City Municipal Council area alone. Mandya city almost accounts for 50 per cent of votes in the constituency.
Karnataka will vote to elect its members of Parliament during the second and third phases of polling on April 18 and April 23, respectively. The counting will take place on May 23 and the results will be out on the same day. (ANI)