Thiruvananthapuram: Amid the ongoing tension over the Kogilu Layout demolition row in Bengaluru, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan shared a stage yesterday and shook hands.

However, despite the clear portrayal behind the ‘all is well’ gesture, the stress between the leaders could be sensed as Pinarayi left the event before Siddaramaiah’s address.

The development came during the 93rd Sivagiri Pilgrimage event, being held in Varkala, Kerala. Siddaramaiah is in Kerala to participate in the event and pay tribute to the enduring legacy of Sree Narayana Guru, the revered social reformer.

This is the first time that Siddaramaiah and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan are sharing a stage following their recent political face-off over the Kogilu illegal encroachment demolitions.

According to the sources, Vijayan left the event before Siddaramaiah’s address. However, before leaving, the Kerala Chief Minister went to Siddaramaiah and AICC General Secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal and had a chat.

Reportedly, Vijayan also informed Siddaramaiah of his urgency to leave to attend the Cabinet meeting.

Notably, the row erupted in response to the CPM’s dismal performance in the recent Local Body elections, following which the party decided to appease the minority community.

To gain the trust of minority voters, whom the party believed had shifted their support to the United Democratic Front (UDF), Pinarayi decided to politically leverage the Bengaluru demolition controversy.