Bengaluru: Though Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy claimed in the state Assembly on Friday that he was not interested in sticking to power and was an accidental CM, his father and brother are busy pleasing gods so that HDK does not fall off his CM’s chair.
JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda and his son HD Revanna has been walking barefoot for the past few days not because they do not want the ground under their feet to slip, but to save Kumaraswamy from losing power.
Revanna came to the Assembly on bare foot after hectic poojas in the morning. And he was so tired that he promptly went to sleep in the Assembly.
For the past few days, JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda’s family, including Kumaraswamy, Revanna and others have been performing special prayers for the government’s survival.
They have been consulting priests and astrologers. In fact, one astrologer asked Kumaraswamy to remain quiet on Thursday. This is why he hardly spoke and gave the floor to Congress legislative party leader Siddarmaiah.
Among the Gowdas, it is god-fearing Revanna who has been busy appeasing gods, stars, planets and swamys. He has been on a temple-hopping spree ever since the political crisis started.
Revanna is so superstitious that soon after he was made PWD minister, he travelled from hometown Hassan to Bengaluru daily – a 350km trip – for close to a month, because his official residence was not Vastu-compliant. He has also been carrying lemons to “ward off the evil eye”.
It is not just the Gowdas who are running after gods to remain in power. BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa too has been consulting astrologers on the auspicious time to take over as CM.
He also performed Ati Rudra Maha Yaga in Gavi Gangadhareshwara temple, Bengaluru, on Wednesday to get powers of invincibility. He also peformed a Grahana Mukti Yaga - to remove all obstacles in his path.
Yeddyurappa’s sister performed Guggulamma Yaga in Bookanakere, his birthplace in Mandya district, on Tuesday. She also performed a Shatru Samhara Yaga. His daughter performed several rituals at Huchchuraya temple in Shikaripura, Yeddyurappa’s hometown.
Sources in the BJP say Yeddyurappa had been advised to “complete the political job” by Sunday. This will now not happen as the trust vote has been put off to Monday. This is why BSY said today that he will come to power in 4-5 days. His astrologers have to give him a new date and an auspicious time.
By Shankar Raj
