Thiruvananthapuram: In a Kerala Assembly polls result that blends electoral success with political folklore, senior CPI-M leader and minister Saji Cherian has scripted a third consecutive victory from Chengannur, while appearing to have broken the long-standing ‘jinx’ associated with the Manmohan Bungalow in the state capital.
The imposing pre-Independence-era residence, located near the Raj Bhavan, has for decades carried a reputation that any minister occupying it would either fail to complete a full term or lose their subsequent election.
The belief, rooted in a series of political reversals, has persisted across party lines and governments.
The latest chapter in this narrative unfolded when Transport Minister Antony Raju vacated the bungalow following his resignation, reinforcing the perception of a curse attached to the residence.
Conventionally, the house should have been allotted to his cabinet successor, K.B. Ganesh Kumar, but he is understood to have opted to stay away, given the bungalow’s history and his personal association with it.
His father, veteran leader R. Balakrishna Pillai, had once stayed there and was forced to resign after a controversy.
Instead, Cherian moved into the residence at a time when he was seeking re-election, placing him squarely within the orbit of the so-called jinx.
However, his decisive win in Chengannur has now challenged that narrative.
The bungalow’s past occupants include a long list of leaders who encountered setbacks.
From early occupants in the Travancore-Cochin era to prominent ministers like T.U. Kuruvilla and Thomas Isaac, many either resigned, faced scandals, or failed to secure re-election.
Even heavyweight leaders such as K. Karunakaran were not entirely untouched by its shadow, having stepped down shortly after returning as Chief Minister.
Against this backdrop, Cherian’s hat-trick victory stands out as a political and symbolic milestone.
While electoral outcomes are ultimately shaped by governance and voter sentiment, the Chengannur result may well mark the beginning of the end for one of Kerala politics’ most enduring superstitions.
(IANS)
