Woman kisses Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah in public

Bengaluru, June 26

A woman gave a peck on Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s cheek at a public meeting here 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 here.

#WATCH: A woman kisses Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah during a state-level program of Kuruba Community in Bengaluru.https://t.co/oyG6IuqROW

— ANI (@ANI_news) June 26, 2016

Standing next to 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 Chief Minister 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 preplanned.

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”. — PTI