Mysuru: The T.K. Layout residence of former Chief Minister Siddharamaiah would be abuzz with activity and teeming with people while he was in power. The last time one saw this scenario was exactly a month ago, when he was the Chief Minister and had come to cast his vote along with his son Dr. Yathindra.

Just a month later, having lost power, defeated badly in Chamundeshwari Constituency, the former Chief Minister was a pale shadow of his former self, with the confidence and the swagger gone.

Siddharamaiah, landed at Mysore Airport in Mandakalli this morning and drove straight to his house in T.K. Layout at 8.20 am. The whole place looked deserted with even a few Policemen on duty taking it easy.

He is here to attend the Thanksgiving function for Varuna Constituency Congress workers at Jayamma Govindegowda Kalyana Mantap in Kuvempunagar.

A few of his close confidantes like MP R. Dhruvanarayan, former MLAs M.K. Somashekar, M. Sathyanarayana and Bannur Krishnappa and former MP C.H. Vijayashankar were the first to arrive. The leaders introspected on the defeat of the former CM, but he him self was not very keen to participate.

Meanwhile, Minister C. Puttaranga Shetty arrived, touched the feet of Siddharamaiah and sought his blessings.

The former CM true to form and in his characteristic voice asked Shetty whether he had conducted an official meeting after he took charge to which he replied that he would hold it as soon as he returns tomorrow.

Then Siddharamaiah quipped in Kannada, a proverb, “Siri bandavarige jana kannige kanalla” (Once a person becomes rich, people are not visible to him) and said, “I hope you will not forget me now that you have got power.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Yathindra came out of the house and  received petitions from the people of his Constituency and promised to look into their grievances.

Later, addressing a press conference, Siddharamaiah, to a pointed question on his defeat in Chamundeshwari Constituency, said that people had given the verdict and he accepted it.

On Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK) saying that he was scared about the rampant corruption in the corridors of Vidhana Soudha and how he would find it difficult to control, Siddharamaiah said that now that he (HDK)  is the CM, he has to handle the situation.

To another question on dissidence in the Congress, he said that everybody including M.B. Patil, B. C. Patil, Sudhakar, Eshwar Khandre and a few others are all co-operating and there is no dissidence. He added that the BJP will never succeed in luring the MLAs from either the Congress or the JD(S).

He said that the Coordination Committee meeting of which he is the Chairman will be held on June 14 at Bengaluru. He expressed confidence that the coalition government will complete five years in office.

Asked about the tie-up with JD(S) for 2019 Parliamentary elections, he said that as AICC (All India Congress Committee) General Secretary K.C. Venugopal in-charge of Karnataka had already talked about the understanding, it would happen.