Poll code may dampen Ugadi spirit

HYDERABAD

March 19: The model code of conduct has come in the way of the official celebrations of Ugadi, the Telugu New Year, and Srirama Navami, the celestial wedding of Rama and Sita, in the state.
Though the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, can take part in the official Ugadi celebrations on March 27, astrologers have to be cautious when it comes to praising the Chief Minister or the government. Sources said that officials have already advised the Hindu clerics, who will be participating in large numbers during Ugadi, to be careful in their speeches as well as while reading the Panchanga Sravanam (yearly predictions).
The code has also put restrictions on the Srirama Navami celebrations at the Bhadrachalam temple on April 4.
The Chief Minister cannot participate in the celebrations in keeping with the tradition.
Instead, the commissioner for endowments will present the Pattu Vastram and the Mutyala Talambralu to Sita on his behalf.
During the 2004 polls, the then Chief Minister, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, too did not participate in the Srirama Navami celeb-rations. The then comm-issioner for endowments, Mr K.V. Ramanachary, represented the government on his behalf.
According to the Chief Electoral Officer of the state, Mr I.V. Subba Rao, the model code of conduct restricts the party in power from influencing voters in any manner.
Meanwhile, parties are gearing up to celebrate Ugadi and eagerly awaiting astrological prediction.
Prior to 2004, there were no Ugadi celebrations at party offices.
However, once Mr Naidu lost power, he started celebrating the Telugu New Year at the party office, the NTR Bhavan, at the same time when the government held its official celebrations.
Soon after, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief, Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao, followed suit, by celebrating Ugadi at his party
office.
In 2008, even the Bharatiya Janata Party organised Ugadi cele-brations at its party office.
However, the Ugadi celebrations at party offices acquired “political colour” with astrologers forecasting predictions to suit the respective party.
The city-based astrologer, Mr Srinivasa Gargeya, who recites the Panchanga Sravanam at the NTR Bhavan every year, told this correspondent, “Nobody can predict the poll outcome accurately.”
“To forecast the future, one needs to know the exact time of the nominations filed by every candidate at all the constituencies. Hence it is impossible to predict an accurate poll result,” said Mr Gargeya.