Tearful Siddaramanahundi waits for Siddaramaiah's Rakesh

Mysuru: An eerie silence has descended over Siddaramanahundi, the native place of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with the entire village mourning the death of Rakesh Siddaramaiah as if it was the death of their own son. Every alternate household has kept the garlanded photo of Rakesh outside their house.

“He was ‘mane maga’ to every household of Siddaramanahundi. So it is not just Siddaramaiah who has lost his son, the entire village has lost its son. His death has not just disappointed Siddaramaiah, but members of every household of  Siddaramanahundi and the entire Varuna constituency. We had dreamt of making him our next MLA. We had a lot of  expectations that he would emerge as a promising young leader, who would respond to our problems, as he always did,” mourned Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s brother, Ramegowda when Deccan Chronicle visited Siddaramanahundi which is  20 kms from Mysuru, on Sunday.

“He was affectionate and kind, he treated everyone equally. He was more close to us of the two brothers, as Dr Yathindra used to be busy, and it was he who visited us often. It was he who accompanied his mother Parvathamma to the village every time. Also since Siddaramaiah was busy, it was Rakesh who responded to every grievance of us in the village or Varuna constituency. He stayed three days a week in Mysuru and used to collect memorandums, and sit and give a patient hearing to anyone who came to meet his father at their residence in Mysuru. If they needed money he used to donate generously be it for weddings or if someone was sick. If it was related to benefits of a government scheme he would tell Siddaramaiah’s personal assistant in Mysuru, Mr Kumar or joint secretary Ramaiah. If I telephoned him that I was sick, he would personally rush to the house to take me to hospital,” said another brother of Siddaramaiah,  Siddegowda.

Jayamma wife of Ramegowda, Rakesh’s aunt, said “We were worried when Siddaramaiah left for Belgium to see Rakesh. We were confident that he would get the best of treatment and come home alive. But we never expected this,” she cried.

While Siddaramaiah has lost one sister Putramamma, his other sister Chikkamma is bedridden. His two brother. their families, and his wife’s family in Hirooru in T Narsipur taluk,  will be present at the funeral in T Katur on Monday.