The compulsions of coalition politics seem to have forced Janata Dal (Secular) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy to sue for peace with his political bête noire and Mandya MP Sumalatha Ambareesh.
Till a few weeks ago, the two used to go hammer and tongs at each other and spared no occasion to vilify each other to further sully the muddy waters of Mandya politics. But, on Friday, Mr. Kumaraswamy adopted a dignified demeanor and referred to Ms. Sumalatha as “his sister”. The former Chief Minister was addressing JD(S) workers at a convention in Mandya in preparations for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.
The current change of stance comes in the backdrop of BJP and JD(S) forging an alliance to fight the Congress in the State in the Parliamentary elections.
Though Ms. Sumalatha contested and won as an Independent in 2019 Parliamentary elections, the BJP threw its weight behind her and did not field a candidate and she became the first MP to be elected as an Independent.
In a quid pro quo, she extended her support to the BJP in the 2023 Assembly elections and was expecting the BJP to field her from Mandya in the forthcoming polls. But the pre-poll alliance between the BJP and the JD(S) has complicated matters for all the three. It is in this backdrop that Mr. Kumaraswamy’s friendly gesture is being seen.
Differences and bickering are common in politics but that does not mean that this has to be prolonged, added Mr. Kumaraswamy, hinting that he was preparing to bury the hatchet with Ms. Sumalatha and sue for peace for a possible political gain.
