The sitting MP from Mandya is expected to make public her decision on Wednesday regarding her stance in the upcoming polls – whether she would support the candidature of H D Kumaraswamy, the NDA candidate in the constituency, or remain neutral.

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JDS leader Kumaraswamy had met with Sumalatha at her residence on Sunday to seek her support but she remained non-committal, choosing to announce her move in front of her supporters and well-wishers on Wednesday.

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State BJP President B Y Vijayendra too had met her last week, requesting her to support her well known bete noire, Kumaraswamy. The next day, she held another round of discussions with her supporters at her Bengaluru residence, and promised to safeguard their interests.

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In the 2019 polls, Sumalatha, contesting as an independent and riding an emotional wave following the death of her husband Ambareesh, had defeated Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil, a JDS-Congress coalition candidate.

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Sumalatha has plenty to gain if she chooses to back Kumaraswamy this time. As she admitted before the media, the BJP National President J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have promised her a Rajya Sabha nomination as well as a union minister post. Besides, they also assured her of protecting the interests of her son Abhishek Ambareesh.

Supporting Kumaraswamy now, will benefit Sumalatha if her son wishes to contest from Maddur in the coming Assembly election. Abhishek's father, the late Ambareesh, hailed from Doddarasinakere in Maddur taluk and it would be easy for Abhishek to win. His father's lingering charisma and the support of Vokkaligga voters are a given.

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Remaining neutral hoever, could have a negative impact on her future plans as the support of the HD Deve Gowda family could prove crucial in the long run. However, sources close to the MP said it would be a difficult call as there was no certainty on how long the JDS-BJP tie-up would last.

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If Kumaraswamy loses the election, it could be a case of 'what might have been' for Sumalatha while in the case of his victory, she stands to lose her connect with the people for five years. Regaining a foothold in the constituency would be difficult.

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However, if she refuses to back Kumaraswamy, she also runs the risk of angering the Vokkaliga voters. As such, Sumalatha, insiders say,  is unlikely to adopt the neutral option, despite the fact that she had to endure a tough time from JDS supporters in her previous election campaign, made worse, when Kumaraswamy reportedly rained abuse on her during the campaign.