Siddaramaiah’s elusive wife sparks curiosity, courtesy MUDA ‘scam’ link
Parvathi, despite being surrounded by domestic helps in Siddaramaiah’s ancestral house, manages to evade the shutterbugs even in this age of smart phones
She is hardly ever seen in public or even private events attended by her illustrious husband Siddaramaiah. Even during his swearing-in as the chief minister of Karnataka for the second term last year, she was conspicuously absent from the audience, just like his previous term that began in 2013. They live separately though they are far from being estranged. She even campaigns for him during elections, albeit in her own way, far away from media glare.
We are talking about Parvathi, the Congress leader’s famously elusive wife who suddenly finds herself at the centre of media curiosity because of the alleged Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam involving the allotment of plots, of which Parvathi is listed as a beneficiary, as also their son, Yathindra, who is a member of the Legislative Council (MLC).
Siddaramaiah’s queen
Parvathi, despite leading a life fit for a queen in Siddaramaiah’s ancestral house in Siddaramanahundi, about 22 km from Mysuru, manages to evade the shutterbugs even in this age of smart phones that have given a camera in every hand. She has a posse of domestic helps at her disposal and a fleet of SUVs at her service, says a Time of India report.
She reportedly takes an interest in politics, too, consulting her MLC son and brother Mallikarjuna Swamy to make certain decisions. And yet, she prefers to remain deep in the shadows of her popular politician-husband, who often has to answer questions on her famed reticence.
“Very shy” person
He has been questioned about her by the Opposition and by the media and, every time, he has brushed them off, saying that she is “very shy”. He said so in a television show, Weekend with Ramesh, in 2017, as the host, actor Ramesh Aravind, asked him about Parvathi’s absence. He has also said the same to Opposition politicians when he has been asked about her absence from events such as his swearing-in ceremony.
Now, with Siddaramaiah finding himself in the middle of Opposition glare because of the alleged MUDA scam, will Parvathi be forced to come out of the shadows? That’s anybody’s guess.
