The JD(S), which has formed an alliance with BJP, has announced its candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections. In Mandya, the party has nominated HD Kumarswamy, while M Mallesh Babu will represent the party in Kolar. The candidate list has come amidst ongoing internal discord within both the Congress and BJP regarding their respective nominees for the seats in Karnataka.

The JD(S) Candidates List for the Lok Sabha Elections:  

• Mandya : HD Kumarswamy • ⁠Kolar : M Mallesh Babu • ⁠Hassan : Prajwal Revanna

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Along with Mallesh Babu, the names of Mulabagilu legislator Samruddhi Manjunath and former Devanahalli legislator Nisarga Narayanswamy were also considered. 

The Mandya constituency became a focal point of dispute between the two parties, leading to a delay in the announcement of the seat list. This delay was reportedly caused by the steadfast position of the incumbent MP Sumalatha Ambareesh, an independent candidate.

Sumalatha, a multilingual film actress and the wife of the late Ambareesh, a renowned Kannada actor-turned-politician, gained significant attention during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections when she ran as an independent candidate.

She emerged victorious by defeating Nikhil Kumaraswamy, the grandson of former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda, as well as the son of former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy.

(More details awaited)