It is not just the brothers, their children are not into active politics either. “When Rakesh (the CM’s elder son) used to be around, our children used to tag along with him for political rallies, but that’s about it. My son works in a bank and I want him to do well there,” Sidde Gowda says.

At the Sidde Gowda’s house, is a portrait of the Siddaramaiah’s elder son Rakesh – carefully positioned in between photographs of Siddaramaiah and his father. Rakesh, who was groomed to be a politician, passed away in 2016.

The brothers remember him as a firebrand who took after his father. “He was full of energy and used to run around to get things done. He would have made a good politician. His death was a shock to all us,” says Sidde Gowda.