Will decide on supporting BJP after consulting supporters,voters: Sumalatha Ambareesh
Bengaluru, May 26: Multilingual actress and independent candidate from Mandya Lok Sabha seat,Sumalatha Ambareesh, who defeated Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil, Sunday thanked BJP for it's support and said she would decide on supporting the party after consulting supporters and voters.
Sumalatha met state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa and another senior party leader and former Chief Minister S M Krishna and thanked them for their support for her victory in Mandya.
BJP had supported Sumalatha by not fielding any candidate against her.
"I want to clarify one thing that if an independent candidate wins, there is no provision in our constitution for him or her to join a party, but can support...there is a provision to give issue based support, this is what I have got to know," she told reporters in response to a question about her joining BJP.
She said, "I have been saying that the opinion of people is important to me.
I have plans to go to every taluk in Mandya to thank voters during which I will consult my supporters and followers on what steps I have to take in the interest of Mandya. After taking their opinion I will come to a decision on this."
Thanking BJP for its support to her victory, Sumalatha congratulated the saffron party for its win both nationally and in Karnataka, by terming the landslide win as "tsunami".
Pointing out that her win was "historic",she credited the people of Mandya and supporters from across the party for it.
In a huge embarrassment to Kumaraswamy, his son Nikhil was defeated by Sumalatha by 1,25,876 votes in Mandya in a bitterly contested campaign.
Sumalatha (55) is the widow of popular actor-turned politician, the late M H Ambareesh.
She had initially sought a ticket from Congress,the party from which her husband had represented Mandya in the past, but it was denied citing coalition compulsions as it had to cede the constituency to JD(S),as per the seat sharing arrangement.
Several Congress leaders and workers were miffed over their party's decision to cede the seat to JD(S) and did not campaign for Nikhil, upset over certain comments by Kumaraswamy allegedly against them.
Many of them had extended support to Sumalatha and had campaigned for her openly with the Congress flag, despite the party warning against it.
Congratulating Sumalatha for her victory in Mandya, Yeddyurappa said she would take a decision on her association with BJP after consulting her supporters and voters.
"After knowing the opinion of voters of her constituency, she will let us know about her stand," he said in response to a question about inviting Sumalatha to BJP or her willingness to join the party.
BJP, which has very less presence in Mandya, decided to support Sumalatha as it saw the party's prospects increasing its base there with her win.
Despite losing the LoK Sabha by-polls in November 2018, the saffron party had made significant inroads by securing 2,44,404 votes, its best performance there.
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Snowfall blocks two key roads providing alternative connectivity to Kashmir
Rajouri/Jammu (PTI): Traffic on the Mughal and Sinthan Top roads, which provide alternate connectivity to Kashmir, was temporarily suspended on Sunday due to light to moderate snowfall in the high-altitude areas of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
However, traffic on the 270-kilometre Jammu-Srinagar national highway -- the only all weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country -- was plying as usual despite intermittent rains that ended the over one-and-a-half months long dry spell, they said.
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The Mughal road, which connects the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri with south Kashmir's Shopian, was closed for traffic as a precautionary measure after more than three inches of snow was recorded at Peer Ki Gali on Sunday afternoon.
A group of three tea vendors are left stranded on the road and efforts are on to evacuate them to safety, officials said.
After they were trapped in the snow, the vendors made passionate appeals through video messages urging the authorities to rescue them. The Border Roads Organisation has taken up snow clearance work and is trying to reach the stranded persons, officials said.
The Sinthan Top road, which connects Kishtwar and Doda districts in Jammu with south Kashmir's Anantnag, was also closed after moderate snowfall in the higher reaches.
Both the mountainous roads usually remain closed for several months due to heavy snowfall during winter.
