Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan shared a stage at a public program in Thiruvananthapuram, days after a dispute over house demolitions in Bengaluru. Vijayan had criticized the Bengaluru demolition drive as 'bulldozer raj,' drawing sharp reactions from Karnataka leaders. Their meeting at Sivagiri Mutt, where they exchanged pleasantries and maintained a cordial public posture, signaled an effort to de-escalate the recent political sparring between the two states.