Sumalatha rules out contesting from Bengaluru North

NT Correspondent

Mandya / Bengaluru: Mandya MP Sumal - atha Ambareesh on Sunday ruled out contesting from the Bengaluru North Lok Sabha seat in the upcoming general elections.

She gave the reply when a mediaperson asked her about JD(S) reportedly landing Mandya in the seat sharing arrangement talks and speculation about her being asked to contest from Bengaluru North.

BJP MP from Bengaluru North Sadananda Gowda had announced his retirement from electoral politics, triggering a race in the saffron party to land the ticket for the seat.

Sumalatha added that Kannada movie star and Mandya native Darshan would back her bid for the Mandya seat again just as he had done back in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

She made the comments during a press conference held after a meeting of her supporters.

“Bengaluru North is not much of a fight for me. It is very easy for me, from any party. If I had thought about my own self-interest, I could have taken up any other offer but I don’t want it. My intention is clear. I don’t want to lose Mandya,” Sumalatha said, adding that she stuck with Mandya because her late husband and Sandalwood star Ambareesh was a Mandya district native.