No decision yet on inducting Sumalatha into BJP, says Yeddyurappa amid speculation over Mandya
Bengaluru, Mar 7: Karnataka BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa Thursday said no discussions have happened on inducting Sumalatha, wife of late actor-turned-politician Ambareesh, into the party.
With the Congress ruling out fielding Sumalatha from the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency, saying the seat would go to it's coalition partner JD(S), clamour is growing within the BJP to induct her and field her in the seat.
Sumalatha said no one from the BJP has contacted her, and if there is an offer from BJP, she will take a call only after consulting her supporters.
"No discussions have taken place in this regard...we will take a call," Yeddyurappa told reporters in Hubballi in response to a question on supporting Sumalatha in Mandya.
Asked about inducting her into the BJP, he said "no discussions have taken place. Even before talking, it will not be right for me to comment on this".
Asserting that the BJP is poised to perform well in the upcoming polls, Yeddyurappa said, "Things are convenient, we will win 22 seats (in Karnataka). It is certain that Modi will become prime minister by winning 300 seats. We are working for it."
Sections within the BJP believe that Sumalatha joining the party and fielding her as candidate in Mandya will help the saffron party, which doesn't have much presence in the Vokkaliga bastion.
JD(S) has already indicated that Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy is likely to be the coalition candidate there.
The Congress has conceded JD(S)' demand for the seat, despite growing pressure within the grand old party to field Sumalatha, herself a popular south Indian actress, as the regional party has a sitting MP in Mandya.
There are also reports about Sumalatha contesting independently, backed by those within the Congress, who are opposed to the party conceding the seat to JD(S); and the BJP too may lend its support.
Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, Sumalatha said, "I too have heard the statements (of BJP leaders), but no one has contacted me directly. If they come, I will get to know what is in their mind, what kind of support they can give me or what's in their mind on this issue."
"If they come, I will speak and take my decision... no one has contacted me yet," she said.
Asked if she would join the BJP, Sumalatha said she will seek opinion of the people before deciding.
"My intention is to respond to public need and stand in their support. Which way to go is still not clear to me, as all these days I had expectation about a Congress ticket. Now what should be my way ahead, I will ask people there is such an offer and see what they have to say," she added.
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Boy called ‘Fauji’ by APJ Abdul Kalam at age 3 becomes Lieutenant at 22
Dehradun: Nearly nineteen years ago, at a Passing Out Parade of the Indian Military Academy, then President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam held the hand of a three-year-old boy standing with his father and remarked, “Yeh fauji ka haath hai” (This is a soldier’s hand). On Saturday, at a similar parade, Dr. Kalam’s words came true in the most literal sense, as the same boy was commissioned as an officer in the Indian Army, drawing attention across the parade ground.
The inspiring story is that of Lieutenant Harmanmeet Singh, who was commissioned into the Indian Army at the age of 22.
With Harmanmeet Singh’s commissioning, a long-standing family tradition of serving the Indian Army, dating back to the early years after Independence, continues. He has become the fourth generation from his family to don the olive green uniform.
Lieutenant Harmanmeet Singh’s great-grandfather, late Subedar Pratap Singh, joined the Army in 1948. The legacy was carried forward by his grandfather, late Sepoy Daljeet Singh, his grand-uncle Major Bhagwant Singh, and Colonel Ujagar Singh.
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Born in Kanpur, Harmanmeet Singh trained as a cadet under the Technical Entry Scheme at the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering, where he won a silver medal. He has been commissioned into the 6 Maratha Light Infantry, the same regiment in which his father, Colonel Harmeet Singh, had earlier served as the Commanding Officer.
Colonel Harmeet Singh himself graduated from the Indian Military Academy on December 9, 2000, exactly 25 years before his son’s commissioning. He said the Army had always been an integral part of Harmanmeet’s world. Growing up, Harmanmeet admired his father in uniform and often wore outfits resembling Army uniforms and badges. “That was his favourite attire. Even at the age of three, while studying in kindergarten, he expressed his desire to become a Gentleman Cadet,” Colonel Harmeet Singh said with pride.
The moment marked not just a personal achievement for Lieutenant Harmanmeet Singh, but also the fulfillment of a prophecy-like remark made years ago by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, now remembered as a symbol of inspiration and destiny fulfilled.
