Housethat! CM in search of a home

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">BANGALORE: ''Housing scheme'' for new Karnataka Chief Minister Dharam Singh and his deputy Siddaramaiah? Given a choice among the houses down the state''s history which were the seats of power, Singh is ''dwelling'' on whether to move from his ministerial bungalow on Kumara Krupa cross road to the designated CM house — Anugraha.<br /><br />Reason? Through all his terms as minister, beginning 1980, the KK cross road house has been home.<br /><br />"There is a sentimental attachment to this house.Still, we have to accept that we cannot continue here as it is too small to accommodate the number of visitors who come to the CM''s house. We will take a look at Anugraha before deciding to move there or make any changes," Singh''s family members said.<br /><br />In contrast, Siddaramaiah has already opted for the "inauspicious" Cauvery, that housed Veerendra Patil, R Gundu Rao, S Bangarappa and J H Patel as CM. All were defeated after they spent their term in this house.<br /><br />"I don''t believe in such things. Besides, Patel, who was DyCM, became CM in the same house," Siddaramaiah told The Times of India.<br /><br />Down the line, each CM has chosen his house according to his own style. Given their beliefs, several of them consulted vaastu experts before moving. "Some houses are not good at all. For example, Bala Brooie, where D Devaraj Urs lived as CM, is bad. Everyone who stays there long will lose his post abruptly and also lead a miserable life later," <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">vaastu</span> expert Somayaji stated.<br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal"><br />S R Bommai, as CM, did move into Bala Brooie, but changed his mind and lived at Shantigruha (presently the chief justice''s house). The only CM who did not move into a designated government house was Ramakrishna Hegde, who chose to stay at his private house, Kritika.<br /><br />The CM house that has seen maximum changes is Anugraha, which was so named by H D Deve Gowda in 1995, after he replaced M Veerappa Moily at both the house and Vidhana Soudha. Veerendra Patil, who occupied the house when it was still called KK annexe 2, effected structural changes as public works minister in 1967-68 to strengthen this house and continued to live in it during his first term as CM.<br /><br />In Gowda''s time, a portico was put up in front of the house for cars to stop there. S M Krishna, who followed him into the house, made some <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">vaastu</span> changes following the Rajkumar-abduction and the Cauvery agitation, though the basic structure of the house has not been touched.<br /><br />Will the new CM too effect structural changes to his chosen house? Then, what will be the ''cost of living''?</div> </div>