Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister late Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was often mistaken for a Hindu, a Reddy. But in fact he was a Christian, a very conservative one for that. When he was the Chief Minister of over 6 crores population, he was unable to practice only one religion. He had been asked to perform some Hindu, Muslim, Sikh rituals during festival times. And he obliged too. But then, according to Christian faith, a true believer cannot follow other rituals. The remedy? Confession. No, he could take a vicar with him wherever he went, so he carried a Holy Bible in his car. As soon as he did something that was believed to be of a pagan's action, he touched the Bible kept in his car and prayed, say a source who was part of the late leader’s personal staff.
"The moment he stepped into the car, he used to touche the Bible. He was so passionate about the Bible that he always carried it with him wherever he went," said a source. Looks like his wife Vijayalakshmi follows the practice, as she was spotted carrying a book resembling the Bible when she was observing a sit-in protest at Sircilla amidst cacophony of a clash Monday.
Opposition leader in the Andhra Pradesh State Assembly believes in Vaastu. He firmly believes that the architectural position of his house and office can decide his success and failure. Last time, when the elections were nearing, he modified his Jubilee House residence in Hyderabad with some Chinese model architecture. This, even after his faith in Vaastu proving costly before the previous general elections. When consulted about his victory in the elections, a Vaastu expert close to him suggested that if the entry gate of the Secretariat was changed, he would win hands on in the elections. Ironically, the elections result proved otherwise. After nine years of rule, Telugu Desam Party bit the dust in the 2004 general elections.
Alipiri near Tirupati in Chittoor district in AP is also a place where he fears to move through. He had a hair-breadth escape from death in October 2003 when the car he was travelling was blasted by outlawed People's War Group. After several years when he passed through the same route for the first time after the blast, the tyre of his car blasted at the exact spot. A terrified Naidu reportedly cancelled his programme and came back home. Ever since he has stopped passing by the area. "An astrologer told Chandrababu Naidu that Alipiri is the place of death for him and he has decided not to travel through that route anymore," sources told this writer.
Matinee-idol turned political leader Chiranjeevi believes in numerals 4 and 8. He takes all important decisions and makes announcements on either 4 or 8 or double digit numbers that total the said numbers. He announced the launch of his party on 17 August and launched it on 28 of the same month.
In Karnataka, former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader H D Deve Gowda and his son and former Chief Minister of Karnataka H D Kumaraswamy visit a shrine called Ahobhila Mutt in Alagadda village of Kurnool district of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh every time there is a special occasion, be it in domestic front or politics. The duo comes three to four days in advance and offer pujas and conduct homas.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa is a staunch believer in tantric power. She performs tantric pujas every now and then, revealed sources. She unofficially visits a Bhadrakali Temple in Warangal in Andhra Pradesh and performs pujas, say insiders.
A shrine Vaideeswaran Koil near Villapuram railway station in Kumbhakonam district of Tamil Nadu is another place where political ambitions of aspiring leaders are granted bountifully. Leaders of yesteryears from former Prime Minister late P V Narasimha Rao to former Andhra Pradesh chief minister late NT Rama Rao used to frequent the temple, according to reports. Even today most of the small-time politicians frequent the temple to make it big in politics.
Former Kerala chief minister late K Karunakaran used to visit Guruvayur Lord Krishna temple in Trissur district of Kerala every 1st day of the Malayalam month. The shrewd leader never used to miss his visit to the famed temple during seventies, eighties and nineties.
Even political campaigns in Andhra Pradesh are based on superstitions. When Prime Minister Manmohan Singh won the trust motion in couple of years ago, Y S Rajasekhar Reddy's close aide and the then Andhra Pradesh Housing Minister, Botsa Satyanarayana commented that the UNPA-Left combine had failed to realise its single-point agenda of toppling the Manmohan Singh government only because the whole show was co-ordinated by 'unlucky' Naidu.
"Wherever Naidu sets foot, destruction and failure are bound to be there," he reportedly commented. He also said as long as Naidu was on his Rath Yatra in the districts, it did not rain. "When he took a break for three days and left for Delhi, it rained here," he was reported as saying.
Former Union minister and Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief K Chandrasekhar Rao is known for his blind faith in performing yagas. He performs yagas not only at home but even in his party headquarters Telangana Bhavan in Hyderabad. He bring priests from Warangal to conduct the ceremonies.
Let your faith save you, you wily leaders!
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