Jinxes in other states

In Short

Explore famous political superstitions in India, from the Noida jinx and Chamarajanagar curse to haunted secretariats and bungalows, and how leaders defied them.

Jinxes in other states
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Jinxes in other states

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Politicians in other states are also wary of jinxed places and premises. Perhaps, the most popular one is the "Noida jinx" in Uttar Pradesh. This remained a superstition for nearly three decades.

It was widely believed that any sitting chief minister of Uttar Pradesh who visits the city of Noida would lose the subsequent election or be forced out of office early.

The superstition began in 1988 when Chief Minister Veer Bahadur Singh resigned days after visiting Noida. Later, leaders like Mulayam Singh Yadav, Kalyan Singh, and Rajnath Singh lost power shortly after visiting the city, lending ‘credibility’ to the jinx. Later, for years chief ministers would inaugurate multi-million dollar Noida infrastructure projects remotely via video link from Lucknow, instead of daring into the city limits. Mayawati defied the myth by visiting in 2011, though she did go on to lose the 2012 election. The jinx was decisively snubbed when Yogi Adityanath visited Noida multiple times during his first term and successfully secured a consecutive election victory

Likewise, a regional superstition exists surrounding the town of Chamarajanagar in southern Karnataka. It was believed that chief ministers who travel to this town will lose their chairs within months. It started in the late 1970s and 1980s, after high-profile chief ministers like D Devaraj Urs, R Gundu Rao, and Ramakrishna Hegde lost their political power shortly after touring the area. So, out of fear, for years chief ministers launched developmental programmes or district celebrations from hills 40 kilometers away to avoid entering the town directly.

Breaking the jinx, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made it a point of pride to routinely visit Chamarajanagar during his first tenure to bust the superstition. He is now out of power, though nobody has yet linked it to the jinx. In Delhi, 33 Sham Nath Marg, a colonial-era bungalow served as the official residence for three Delhi Chief Ministers, none of whom managed to complete a full term while living there. It lay abandoned and rejected by superstitious politicians for over 20 years. Finally, orders were passed to let the bungalow house disaster management authority headquarters.

In Maharashtra, specific offices of the Secretariat are shunned. Room No. 602 in Mantralaya, one of the largest administrative offices in the state Secretariat was avoided by senior politicians for over two decades because nearly every Minister assigned to it became embroiled in corruption scandals or was forced to resign.

The Hans India
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