A woman placed a peck on Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s cheek at a public meeting Bengaluru on Sunday, leaving him visibly embarrassed.
The incident happened at a programme to felicitate newly elected members of zilla panchayats and taluk panchayats, organised by the Karnataka Pradesha Kuruba Sangha at palace grounds in Bengaluru.
Standing next to the chief minister for a group photo, Girija Srinivas, who is Tarikere Taluk Panchayat member from Amruthapura in Chikmagalur district, all of a sudden in her moment of joy gave a peck on his cheek and walked away.
Siddaramaiah, visibly embarrassed by the incident, wiped his cheek with a big smile.
The Karnataka CM hails from Kuruba community.
Speaking to a TV channel, the woman said she was happy that the chief minister was also a Kuruba, and called him a ‘lion of the community’.
“I was overjoyed by the fact that I was standing next to him. My family and I have always called him Appaji (father).”
She also clarified that placing a peck on Siddaramaiah’s cheek was not planned.
Srinivas hails from Varuna in Mysuru district which is Siddaramaiah’s assembly constituency.
She is married to a man from Chikmagalur.
Speaking to reporters Siddaramaiah said, “That girl is like my daughter.”
