As election fever grips the nation, the leaders of various political parties are leaving nothing to chance. Most are seeking divine blessings by taking religious vows or offering prayers at temples to ensure their victory in the forthcoming elections.
Be it KCR’s Rajashyamala Chandi Homam before the Telangana State elections in November 2018, Chandrababu Naidu’s trip to Tirupati to kick off the election campaign in AP on Friday, Priyanka Gandhi’s prayers at the Bade Hanuman Mandir near Prayagraj Sangam to kick off the Lok Sabha election campaign and TRS leader Kavitha Kalvakuntla recent visit to Kanteshwar temple in Nizamabad, netas are invoking the divine to return to and retain power.
N. Chandrababu Naidu offerings prayers at Tirupati.
However, Sri Sarada Peetham seer Swamy Swaroopaanandendra Saraswathi says that this trend has been in existence since ages. “Our Puranas suggest that even kings used to perform yaagas and homams before a war for victory. Also, these kings used to offer prayers during drought for rains or even in tough times. Since elections are like war, performing such rituals could help improve the chances of winning,” he explains, adding that merely performing a ritual will not lead to victory.
“Purity of thoughts coupled with focus and strength of mind plays a vital role in the end result,” he says, adding, “KCR performed Rajashyamala Chandi Homam because we felt his horoscope suits such a ritual at this point of time.”
Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy with seer Tridandi Chinna Jeeyar Swamy at his ashram in Hyderabad.
Meanwhile, YSRC President Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s recent rendezvous with seer Tridandi Chinna Jeeyar Swamy at his ashram in Hyderabad also garnered a lot of curiosity. Just like how former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi (in 1979) and Sonia Gandhi (in 2008) offered prayers at the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain, Rahul Gandhi also offered prayers last October to kick off the Madhya Pradesh election campaign.
With India being a deeply religious country some argue that there is no need to raise eyebrows when politicians perform rituals. Moreover, political analysts observe that whether a politician is spiritual or not is his/her personal choice.
“Why should we bother about their spiritual beliefs, it’s their personal choice, so let’s respect it,” asserts analyst and former Member of Legislative Council, Professor Nageshwar Rao.
Kavitha Kalvakuntla offering prayers at Kanteshwar temple in Nizamabad.
National Executive member and MLC N. Ramchander Rao adds that all politicians seek diving blessings before the polls. Apparently, the belief system only gets deeper and stronger after joining active politics. Take the case of Vinod Reddy, General Secretary, Telangana Congress Committee, who reveals that he regularly goes to Lord Hanuman and Balaji temples. “As a kid, we are raised listening to all the poojas and prayers that our elders perform. But once we enter active politics, we get even more spiritual. After fighting a long battle, any man would like to go back to the Almighty and seek divine blessings. It’s a part of our life journey,” says Vinod Reddy.
Interestingly, for the Archaka of Chilkur Balaji Devasthanam, C.S. Rangarajan, human effort is equally important. He admits that politicians approach him to ask about the kind of rituals to be performed in order to come to power. “But I tell them only on the condition that they shall revive and preserve the temples after they come into power. They need to realise the significance of human effort too,” he adds.
