Mandya is the epicentre of political heat, with both Sumalatha and Nikhil campaigning intensely. But, the supporters of both sides have resorted to personal attacks. From using caste to their profession, political adversaries are stooping to newer lows
Bengaluru: Campaigning is going on in full swing in Mandya where Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil Kumaraswamy is taking on Sumalatha, the wife of late actor-politician Ambareesh. And so is the war of words.
The JD(S) loyalist and incumbent MP LR Shivarame Gowda didn’t mince words when he openly criticised Sumalatha and her supporters – Sandalwood actors Darshan and Yash. In fact, he even went to the extent of mentioning how it was Kumaraswamy who brought the corpse of Ambareesh to Mandya in order to facilitate citizens pay their last respects.
Taking their caste into consideration, he reiterated that Sumalatha would become the gowdati or female chieftain because she is from the Naidu community, and that her supporter Darshan too is from the same community.
Another JD(S) loyalist and a minister in the Kumaraswamy cabinet GT Deve Gowda was seen campaigning in Mandya. Taking a dig at Darshan, he said that Darshan would in no way help Sumalatha garner more votes.
Citing his own example, Gowda said that Darshan campaigned for his opponent and former chief minister Siddaramaiah in the constituency of Chamundeshwari, near Mysuru, but Siddaramaiah ended up losing the election.
Further, he said that they had all expected that in every booth, Siddaramaiah would get at least 1,000 votes due to Darshan’s campaigning, and that he would get only a 100 votes, but the results had something very different to say.
Later, he went to say that the people vote based on good governance and not anything else.
Elsewhere in Ballari, which is at least 400 kilometres from the epicentre Mandya, senior BJP leader Sri Ramulu took a jibe at Kumaraswamy and senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar by calling them ‘Kallettu’ or oxen inclined to thievery.
With such name calling and personal attacks, it is politics that has indeed suffered.
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