The Mandya Lok Sabha seat in Karnataka has become the center of a heated political warfare between Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy and Congress' Star Chandru. Both parties view this as a prestige battle and are pulling out all the stops to secure victory in this Vokkaliga-dominant region. This election also holds significance for the BJP, which has been steadily gaining support in the area. With the entry of independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh into the fray, the outcome of this election becomes even more uncertain.