Mandya is known for its rivalry between Congress and JD(S) for supremacy. The BJP too over the years has been trying to make inroads here.
Sumalatha Ambareesh with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. (SumalathaA/Twitter)
Who will be the NDA candidate in Karnataka’s Mandya segment? Sitting Independent MP Sumalatha Ambareesh and the BJP’s alliance partner JD(S) have demanded the segment, dominated by the Vokkaligas, the latter’s strong vote base. In 2019, NDA-backed Sumalatha humbled JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil. With the changed political equations, all are awaiting the BJP’s decision on Mandya.