Miffed Over Seating Arrangement, Ramya Reluctantly Sounds Congress Poll Bugle in Karnataka

Bengaluru: It seems all is not well between film actress-turned-politician Ramya Divya Spandana and Karnataka state Congress leaders. Ramya, a former MP from Mandya was invited to the first meeting of Congress campaign committee in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

The committee chairman and Power minister D K Shivakumar had convened the meeting to chalk out party’s poll strategy. Chief minister Siddaramaiah, KPCC chief Dr. G Parameshwara, AICC general secretary and Karnataka in charge K C Venugopal and several other top leaders of the party were present at the meeting.

Ramya who is also head of the AICC social media cell was one of the special invitees to this all important meeting held at a private hotel. A seat was reserved for her in a row meant for Kannada cinema stars who are campaigning for the party. According to insiders Ramya was miffed at this indiscretion and refused to sit with other film stars. Famous stars like Malashree, Sadhu Kokila and others seated there. She took a seat in one of the last rows.

When all top leaders including Siddaramaiah rose to sound the traditional bugle to announce the beginning of formal campaigning, Ramya was also invited on the stage. After some persuasion from D K Shivakumar, she climbed onto the stage and reluctantly sounded the poll bugle.

Even though Ramya was not available for a comment, sources in the state Congress believe that former actress was upset over not being treated like a leader of the Congress and still being treated like a film personality.

After she won the 2013 by-poll from Mandya Lok Sabha seat, Ramya has stopped acting in movies. She lost the 2014 Lok Sabha polls by a slender margin of 5,000 votes. When her mentor and former chief minister SM Krishna quit the Congress to join the BJP early last year, Ramya stayed with the Congress and was made head of AICC Social Media Cell a few months later.

She is credited with energizing the social media engagement of the Congress party changing Rahul Gandhi’s public image in the virtual world. Ramya is likely to contest in the upcoming Assembly polls from one of the seats in Mandya district.