Will reveal my plans on March 18, says actress Sumalatha on contesting from Mandya
Bengaluru, Mar 11: All set to take the political plunge, multi-lingual film actor Sumalatha said Monday she will reveal on March 18 whether she would contest the coming Lok Sabha election from Mandya constituency in Karnataka.
Sumalatha, widow of celebrated Kannada actor Ambareesh, who was a three-time MP from Mandya, has disturbed the political equation with her insistence on contesting from the seat, upsetting calculations of ruling coalition partners Congress and JDS.
"I believe that till the last minute anything can happen. Till it is officially announced, there is nothing to say this won't happen. I will let you know on March 18," Sumalatha told reporters in Mandya.
She urged people to not give credence to speculation that Congress leaders were persuading her to not contest from Mandya.
"Please don't heed to rumours about me unless I reveal it to you, given the fact that Mandya is one of the prestigious Lok Sabha seats, not only in Karnataka, but in the entire country," the actor added.
She admitted that Congress strongman and Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar has requested her to not contest from Mandya.
"Well, nobody can pressure me because they know who I am and what I am, but D K Shivakumar had met me with a suggestion that I should contest from somewhere else.
"He told me that since coalition dharma (with JD-S) was in place, Congress cannot retain Mandya. I too told him about my stand on this matter," Sumalatha said.
Having a substantial population of the dominant Vokkaliga community, Mandya is traditionally considered a JD(S) citadel.
JD(S) has not only made Congress give up Mandya but also decided to field Nikhil Gowda, son of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and third generation leader from the Gowda family, from the constituency.
Ambareesh, barring a brief stint in JD(S), had been associated with Congress and was the minister of state for information and broadcasting in UPA-I dispensation. He had represented Mandya thrice in Lok Sabha.
The restlessness in the JD(S) was so apparent that Karnataka PWD Minister H D Revanna targeted Sumalatha, saying she has decided to enter politics when not even a month had passed since the demise of her husband.
The statement of Revanna, son of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and brother of Chief Minister Kumaraswamy, to a private TV news channel in Delhi Friday has embarrassed his party.
Sumalatha was not grateful to what Kumaraswamy did for Ambareesh, who died in November last year, he had said, referring to the arrangements made by the state government for his funeral.
Revanna drew flak from the party, Congress and the BJP for his remarks.
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Metro ridership in Haryana sees over 13 pc rise in 2025-26
Chandigarh (PTI): Haryana's urban transit system witnessed a strong growth in 2025-26, with metro ridership registering a robust 13.55 per cent increase, the state government said in a statement on Thursday.
The progress was reviewed in the 64th board meeting of Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi.
Between April 2025 and February 2026, the metro network recorded over 1.74 crore passengers, compared to 1.53 crore in the corresponding period the previous year.
July recorded the highest monthly growth at 22.93 per cent, while all months showed consistent positive trends.
Financial performance has also remained strong, with fare revenue rising 12.64 per cent till January 2026, the statement said.
Non-fare revenue surged by 108 per cent, driven by effective monetisation of station spaces, advertisements and commercial activities, resulting in an operating surplus for Rapid Metro.
Further initiatives, including the auction of station naming rights and additional advertisement sites, are expected to strengthen HMRTC's financial position, the statement said.
Appreciating the performance, Rastogi stated that the consistent rise in ridership and revenue reflects the success of Haryana's integrated transport strategy, rising commuter confidence and a clear shift towards public transport.
HMRTC Managing Director Chander Shekhar Khare said that, alongside operational gains, the state is making steady progress on an ambitious pipeline of metro and regional transit projects.
Metro connectivity from Gurugram Sector 56 to Panchgaon is under active consideration, with Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited studying the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and layout plan, and finalising a depot location in Sector 36A near Sihi village, he said.
The Gurugram-Faridabad Namo Bharat corridor has achieved a key milestone, with alignment and station locations finalised and approved by the Haryana government. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation is preparing the DPR, he added.
Similarly, the Delhi-Kundli metro extension is proposed to be placed before the Haryana Cabinet for approval.
The 136.3-kilometre Delhi-Panipat-Karnal RRTS Corridor has also progressed, with the revised DPR submitted for financial concurrence ahead of Haryana Cabinet consideration.
Within Gurugram, DPR preparation has been approved for key intra-city corridors, including the 17.09-kilometre Bhondsi-Subhash Chowk-Rajeev Chowk-Sohna Chowk Railway Station corridor, enhancing connectivity along Sohna Road, Khare said.
