Sumalatha Hopeful Of BJP MP Ticket From Mandya

Independent MP from Mandya seat in Karnataka, Sumalatha Ambareesh, who is keen to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from her constituency on a BJP ticket, said on Wednesday that the party's nominee has not been finalised yet.

Speaking to reporters at the Bengaluru airport, she said: "I have discussed the Mandya ticket issue in Delhi. I have been told that they have not made any final decision yet. Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra has also stated that the ticket won't be finalised till March 22. The final call will be taken by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. If I continue in politics, I will continue from the land of Mandya.

"Others have been talking about my possibilities of contesting from Chikkaballapur and Bengaluru North. BJP National President J.P. Nadda told me that I was called to Delhi after PM Modi directed him to hold talks with me. He stated that there is a lot of respect for me in the party," Sumalatha Ambareesh said.

"I am hopeful of positive results. Let us wait for the decision that will be made by the high command," she added.

She had earlier said that if not given a ticket, she would take her own decision.