BANGALORE: I want my father to provide a corruption-free government and work for the comprehensive development of the state. This is older son Rakesh’s agenda for his father and new CM Siddaramaiah. Younger son Dr Yathindra, though, is unlike his politically savvier brother. The 32-year-old doctor prefers to keep away from politics and is said to have expressed concern over losing his privacy.
Rakesh feels the new CM should focus on the overall development of the state. “Lot of areas in northern Karnataka need development. My father has extensively travelled across the state and is fully aware of issues. So I am hopeful of a positive response from him,” he said.
But will he help his father in his new role? “Our family will never interfere in the administration. Whenever in power, he has kept the family out. He does not like it. I will limit myself to the constituency, as before,” he said.
Like father, like son
Rakesh, a graduate, is married with two children and lives in Bangalore. He is actively involved in the affairs of his fa ther’s constituency, Varuna, in Mysore. After an unsuccessful stint in movies, the flamboyant Rakesh plunged into politics when his father contested the Chamundeshwari bypoll in December 2006, after quitting the JD(S).
He is credited with his father’s win in the recent poll. For, Siddaramaiah had to tour the state and couldn’t be at Varuna all the time. In 2008, post delimitation, Siddaramaiah chose Varuna constituency. It was rumoured that Rakesh would contest from Chamundeshwari. But Siddaramaiah says, “He has to wait till I retire from electoral politics.” Rakesh drives a Q7 Audi.
No politics please
The younger doctor-son has apparently taken after his mother Parvathi, who too is publicity shy. A rank holder (sixth rank) in SSLC, he did MBBS from Bangalore Medical College and MD in pathology from KLE College, Belgaum. Known for his simplicity, he’d take a bus to college when his father was deputy CM. Siddaramaiah vouches for his son’s apolitical nature: “He has no interest in politics. He does not even want to speak about it.” He lives with his parents and runs a diagnostic laboratory, Prasidd YS Diag-nostics. He also works as a consultant and drives a Maruti SX4.
