Bengaluru: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar’s daughter Aishwarya on Thursday got engaged to Amartya Hegde, the son of late Cafe Coffee Day founder VG Siddhartha and grandson of BJP leader SM Krishna.

The engagement ceremony was held at Taj Bangalore near the Kempegowda International Airport in Karnataka’s Bengaluru.

Apart from close family and friends, the engagement ceremony in Bengaluru was attended by Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.

Politics was set aside temporarily as photos from the celebrations showed Mr Yediyurappa, who sat in the front row, holding Mr Shivakumar’s hand. Both the leaders had recovered from COVID-19 a few months ago.

The Chief Minister, who was also seen greeting Mr Krishna, posed with the young couple on stage.

Mr Krishna was with the Congress for decades and was the Foreign Minister in Congress-led government from 2009 to 2012. He switched to the BJP in 2017.

Among other VIPs who attended the engagement was Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashok.

Mr Shivakumar’s daughter Aisshwarya, 24, was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate last September in connection with a money-laundering case.

DK Shivakumar, 58, is a powerful politician in Karnataka and is the chief troubleshooter of the Congress in the state. He was arrested last September in connection with a money-laundering case and granted bail by the Delhi High Court on October 23 last year.

Amartya’s father VG Siddhartha was found dead in Karnataka’s Mangaluru in August last year. The 60-year-old’s death had led to shock and an outpouring of grief across the country.

Dr K Sudhakar Several dignitaries, including R Ashok and V. Somanna, were present at the engagement ceremony. Close relatives and friends of both families witnessed today’s event.