Former Karnataka chief minister SM Krishna, who is credited with taking brand Bengaluru to new heights, is expected to personally lead the campaign for the BJP in Old Mysuru districts in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Krishna, a Vokkaliga leader hailing from the Mandya district, after serving Congress party for over a five decades, quit and joined the BJP in 2017. However, since then he has hardly been seen in public except during the State Assembly elections held last May.

On Monday, BJP party’s election campaign in-charge R Ashok visited Krishna’s house and formally invited him to campaign for the party in the Lok Sabha elections. In Karnataka, elections are being held in two phases — April 18 and 23.

The BJP is roping in Krishna to counter another Vokkaliga leader and Janata Dal Secular (JD-S) supremo HD Deve Gowda mainly in Bengaluru and Old Mysuru districts. Krishna commands respect in the Old Mysuru region, especially Mandya, Mysuru, Bengaluru rural districts and Bengaluru city.

“The BJP is committed to an ideology and we will draw votes based on that. Our campaign is not based on any individuals. We want Narendra Modi to become the Prime Minister for the second time.”

Mandya constituency

The entire Kannada film industry is learnt to have decided to back the candidature of actress Sumalatha, wife of late Kannada film super star, Ambarish, to contest from Mandya Lok Sabha constituency. She is also expected to get support from a section of the Congress party, which is opposed to the JD(S) fielding its candidate from the constituency even though this is part of the seat-sharing pact between the two parties. The former chief minister and the Congress leader Siddaramaiah has made it clear that his party will not back Sumalatha’s candidature.

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