Son Versus Star

Support from the BJP and the film fraternity and tacit backing by Congress rebels give Sumalatha an edge over Nikhil Kumaraswamy

- Prathima Nandakumar

With its lush green fields of paddy and sugarcane, Man-dya, located in the Cauvery basin in south Karnataka, paints a placid picture. But, the electoral battle in the Vokkaliga heartland between two prominent Vokkaliga political families has ensured that Mandya will be anything but calm during the Lok Sabha elections. The fight is between veteran actor Sumalatha, wife of the late Congress leader and Kannada superstar Ambareesh, and Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s son, Nikhil.

Sumalatha, 55, is contesting as an independent after her request for a Congress ticket was denied. The Congress gave the seat to its alliance partner, the Janata Dal (Secular), which has put up 31-year-old Nikhil, an up-and-coming actor. Sumalatha has received support from the film fraternity, especially Ambareesh’s close confidant, producer Rockline Venkatesh, and actors Darshan and Yash, both Vokkaligas. Kumaraswamy, who himself has been a film producer and distributor, thinks the growing tiff with the industry will affect Nikhil’s prospects.

The BJP has announced its support for Sumalatha. More trouble awaits Nikhil as Congress workers are reluctant to work for him. They are upset by the party’s decision to cede Mandya, once a Congress stronghold, to the JD(S). Local JD(S) leaders and workers are angry that Nikhil, a political greenhorn, has been foisted upon them. Shambunahalli Suresh of the Raitha Sangha said the decision to give the seat to Nikhil showed the sheer opportunism of the Deve Gowda family. “Deve Gowda does not trust anybody. So, he brings in his family members,” he said.