"He (Siddaramaiah) is like my father," Girija Srinivas was quoted as saying by the local media.
Highlights
- Woman gives Karnataka CM a peck on the cheek at a public function
- Girija Srinivas is a panchayat member from Chikmagalur district
- Met him for the first time, could not control the excitement, she said
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ended up red-faced on Sunday as he was caught on camera when a young woman pecked him on the cheek at a programme.
The overwhelmed gesture came from one Girija Srinivas, a panchayat member from Chikmagalur district, after the Chief Minister felicitated her at the programme organised by the Kuruba community, reported local dailies. The Chief Minister hails from Kuruba community.
Before he could react, she disappeared from the stage, reports said.
"He is like my father. I met him for the first time. I could not control the excitement. I kissed him. Nothing wrong in it," she was quoted as saying by the local media.
Ms Srinivas hails from Varuna in Mysuru district, which is Mr Siddaramaiah's assembly constituency. She is married to a man from Chikmagalur.
Mr Siddaramaiah has been battling dissent in the party after he conducted a cabinet reshuffle last week, in which 14 ministers were shown the door.
But the Chief Minister, who sources said, had made phone calls to pacify disgruntled legislators, has brushed off the reports of dissent.