Bengaluru: Even as Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil Kumaraswamy, who is making a political debut by contesting from Mandya Lok Sabha seat, has publicly announced that he was an eligible bachelor and would marry a girl from Mandya if there is an opportunity, rumours are rife that he will marry the daughter of Congress strongman D.K. Shivakumar from Kanakapura, over 40 kilometres from Mandya.

If reports from Bengaluru are to be believed, arch-rivals-turned-thick-friends CM H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK) and D.K. Shivakumar (DKS) are looking at the possibility to bond their friendship further through this marriage. As an indication to this new-found bonhomie, Shivakumar was there when Nikhil filed his nomination papers from Mandya on Monday and had posed as one of the members of Kumaraswamy family.

Their closeness was for everyone to see and even when Shivakumar’s brother D.K. Suresh filed his papers yesterday from Bengaluru Rural Parliamentary Constituency where Kumaraswamy and Nikhil Kumaraswamy were present. Notably, except for Shivakumar, no other Congress Leader was present in Mandya when Nikhil filed his papers.

All these developments have raised brows in political circles and even during the last Assembly polls when Anitha Kumaraswamy won from Ramanagaram constituency, Kumaraswamy and his family visited Shivakumar’s house in Sadashivanagar to thank the latter for his efforts in ensuring Anitha’s victory.

Sources said that both the families have examined the horoscope of Nikhil and Shivakumar’s daughter (name withheld as the alliance has not been finalised and to protect her identity) and Anitha Kumaraswamy was impressed by the girl’s personality and behaviour and they instantly bonded.

Kumaraswamy’s family too was impressed by Shivakumar’s family and now there are talks of cementing the relationship with the wedding.

As Kumaraswamy’s family firmly believes in astrology, the horoscopes were presented to astrologers who have reportedly given their green signal to the alliance and both the horoscopes perfectly matched. CM’s wife Anitha is keen to have Shivakumar’s daughter as her daughter-in-law and even Nikhil is willing to marry the Congress strongman’s daughter, sources said. This has paved the way for initial talks between the two families, say sources.

Shivakumar’s daughter manages her father’s Global Academy of Technology, an engineering college near Rajarajeshwari Nagar. It is, however, not clear if Shivakumar and Kumaraswamy are keen on the alliance.

A few months ago, Anitha turned down a proposal by Kumaraswamy from Andhra Pradesh. The couple went to see a girl in Vijayawada in September last year. The girl was the daughter of Bodapudi Siva Kotesswara Rao, who owns Profit Shoe Company Private Limited.

In 2015, Nikhil was engaged to Swathi, the daughter of film producer K.C.N. Mohan. It was, however, called off after a few months, sources said.