Bengaluru: Mandya Lok Sabha poll independent candidate Sumalatha, who is taking on Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil, has made some serious allegations against the JD(S).

She has alleged that the workers from the party have contacted the staff working  in her house for several years with a view to eliciting personal information about her and her late husband Ambareesh, and using it to character-assassinate her.

Revealing that she got this information by a top source from the JD(S) itself, she further added that that staff were enticed with a huge sum of Rs 15 lakh and a fully sponsored leisure trip to either Dubai or Singapore. However, she added that the staff were disinclined towards such freebies and vowed to be with her during trying circumstances.

Apart from these allegations, she went on to say that the party is trying to target her on social media, by resorting to morphing her pictures, photos and videos.

On the other hand, Sumalatha warned the JD(S) not to stoop to such levels and added that the party had only seen one face of hers. She also urged the party to come and have a talk relating to all political differences and not resort to smear campaign.

The JD(S) on its part has maintained that Sumalatha is not able to handle the popularity that Nikhil Kumaraswamy has.

It might be recalled that Nikhil had criticised Yash, a Sandalwood actor, for not paying the rent for his house in Bengaluru. He had taken pot shots at Yash saying one who couldn’t pay rent is campaigning for a clean society in Mandya.

The BJP was quick to react on the issue.

“The JD(S) is already talking badly about her and threatening her staff. This is nothing new. They would resort to do anything to help Nikhil win. As the CM, Kumaraswamy should not be doing such things. It does not augur well for him. We don’t think the women of Mandya would appreciate this. They will vote in her favour. This is an invitation for disaster,” says Shreenath Sheshadri, a BJP spokesperson.