Kumaraswamy is not the first politician to have an affair with any actress. Former chief ministers—from the late R Gundu Rao, late Ramakrishna Hegde, to External Affairs Minister S M Krishna (a former state chief minister)—were also rumoured to have had steady relationships with actresses in their heydays.
While Rao was said to have had an obsession with Manju Bhargavi of 'Shankarabharanam' fame, a more urbane and earthy looking Hegde was reported to have had a relationship with the late Protima Bedi and a more steady relationship with danseuse Pratibha Prahalad who now lives in Delhi with her two daughters. Hegde had sanctioned land for Bedi’s Nrityagram near Bangalore.
Krishna’s alleged love affair with wellknown actress B Saroja Devi in their younger days was mentioned in the book Halli Hakkiya Haadu (The Song of a Village Bird). The book, written by H Vishwanath, Krishna’s former state Cabinet colleague and the present Mysore Lok Sabha Congress MP, had kicked up a controversy in 2008.
Then Krishna was governor of Maharashtra and trying to come back to active politics.
Rumours were also thick about marriage of D B Inamdar, tourism and information technology Minister in the S M Krishna government, to Bhavya, a leading star in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Another chief minister JH Patel, who was candid about his weakness for wine and women, was also reported to have had affairs with several women, including a few cine actresses. His alleged affair with small-time actress Hema Choudhary was well known in political circles.
Former education minister in the Hegde cabinet Raghupathi, however, went a step ahead and married actress Aarathi. Soon after, the marriage turned sour and the actress who was a nominated member of the Legislative Council deserted him and settled in the US. The former minister is now living in political oblivion. It is said that love blossomed between the duo when they met in the House where they sat next to each other.
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