Jinxed? CM moves into official residence

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 29

Rubbishing aside the superstition that the Cantt Road official residence of the Chief Minister was jinxed, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat today entered the house after conducting the rituals.

The Cantt Road CM residence that depicts the Uttarakhandi hill architecture was conceptualised during the tenure of then Chief Minister ND Tiwari who was then heading a Congress government. By the time the construction was completed in 2007, the BJP came to power in the state.

BJP Chief Minister BC Khanduri was the first CM to stay at this place but could not complete his term. Khanduri was replaced by BJP leader Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank after the former had completed just two years in the office following the high command’s decision for a change of guard in the state.

Nishank thus became new occupant of the house. But as the luck would have it, Nishank too could not complete his tenure and hardly stayed for two years before he was again replaced by Khanduri. A cautious Khanduri this time decided not to stay in this house and preferred the Yamuna Colony residence.

Then in 2012 there was a change of government in the state and Congress returned to power. Vijay Bahuguna became the Chief Minister. He moved into this official residence. But the jinxed house factor again worked as he too got replaced by Harish Rawat just two years later and could not complete his tenure. Harish Rawat, on the other hand, after taking over as CM never stayed in this official residence and preferred to stay at Bijapur Guest House as the jinxed factor heavily weighed on his mind.

But setting aside all superstitions, the new BJP Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat today made it amply clear that he least believed in this jinxed theory and moved into this official residence along with his family. Though sources also reveal that some changes have been made inside the residence on the suggestions of Vaastu experts.

BJP state president Ajay Bhatt, Cabinet ministers Prakash Pant, Madan Kaushik, Harak Singh Rawat and Yashpal Arya were present on the occasion.