Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ended up red-faced when a woman in her late thirties kissed him at a public meeting in Bangalore on Sunday. It was a felicitation program for the Kuruba Community organised by the same caste which the Chief Minister belongs.

The whole incident was caught on camera. The overwhelmed gesture came from Girija Srinivas, a panchayat member hails from Varuna in Mysore district, which is Siddaramaiah’s Assembly constituency. She is married to a man from Chikmagalur.

After being felicitated, Girija Srinivas kissed and embarrassed CM on his right cheek. Even before he could react, she disappeared from his sight. Siddaramaiah took almost 10 seconds to realise what happened.

“He is like my father. I met him for the first time. I could not control the excitement. I kissed him. Nothing wrong with it,” she was quoted as saying by the local media.

Earlier, on two occasions, she wanted to take a photograph with him, but we were unable to do so. Now that she had an opportunity to talk to him and also take a photograph, she was happy and planted a kiss,” said Girija’s husband Srinivas, a PWD contractor.