Bangalore: A "closed chapter" from the private life of Janata Dal Secular leader H.D. Kumaraswamy has been attracting attention since the Congress set the stage for a coalition government under his leadership.

Old pictures of Kumaraswamy, 58, with a young woman and a girl have been circulating across social media platforms over the past few days along with the claim that the soon-to-be chief minister is a bigamist.

The woman in the picture is Radhika, a leading Kannada film actress who is said to have been "married" to Kumaraswamy for about a decade until they "parted ways" about two years ago.

Sources acknowledged that the relationship had caused unrest in Kumaraswamy's family since he was already married and had a grown-up son who never accepted Radhika. But they insisted that Kumaraswamy was no longer "married" to Radhika.

Kumaraswamy's mobile phone was switched off, while a film chamber official who knows Radhika said she didn't want to comment on the matter.

Kumaraswamy would during the decade-long association with Radhika divide his time between his old and new homes but had now stopped living in with the actress, a film industry source close to the family told The Telegraph. "At the moment Anitha is his legally wedded wife," he said.

He added: "An old issue that was settled amicably has been raked up only because Kumaraswamy is going to be chief minister. Why wasn't this discussed until last week?"

The source added that Radhika, who is in her early 30s, had become a busy actress once again. She has so far acted in about 30 films, mostly in lead roles.

A Janata Dal Secular source too said that Kumaraswamy's relationship with Radhika was "an old chapter that two adults have themselves closed".

He added that Kumaraswamy's father H.D. Deve Gowda, the party patriarch and a former Prime Minister, had not taken kindly to the son's relationship with Radhika.

"Anitha had been the rock of the family all through, earning Deve Gowda's trust and support," he said.

"He is a father to her, not just a father-in-law. He stood by her and protected her interests all along."

Anitha had unsuccessfully contested a seat during the 2013 state elections and might now be fielded from Channapatna, which her husband would have to give up since he has won from Ramanagara as well, party sources said.

Kumaraswamy has always been the most politically ambitious among Deve Gowda's four sons and two daughters.

Deve Gowda's eldest son Balakrishna is a retired government servant while second son Revanna is likely to feature in Kumaraswamy's cabinet.

Youngest son Ramesh is a doctor, and far removed from politics. Daughters Anasuya and Shailaja are homemakers.