Politicians throng lucky studios

BY J.R.PRASAD

Hyderabad, April 3: A photo studio at Narayanaguda in Hyderabad and a song recording studio in Siricilla, Karimnagar, have one thing in common: They are both considered lucky by politicians cutting across party lines.

The photo studio in Narayanaguda is otherwise popular among marriageable girls. But during polls, political leaders throng the studio to get their photographs taken believing it will bring them luck.

The BJP state president and party’s candidate from the Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat, Mr Bandaru Dattatreya, the sitting MP and Congress candidate from the same segment, Mr Anjan Kumar Yadav, and the minister for information technology, Mr R. Damodar Reddy, are some of the prominent leaders who “believe in the studio.”

“I firmly believe that taking an election campaign photo from this studio will bring me good luck. It has become a custom for me,” said Mr Reddy.

Similarly, many politicians get their poll campaign CDs made at a recording studio in Sircilla. Here, lyricists from the Telangana region pen campaign songs with a “rural touch”. The songs are then sung by folk singers.

The Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief, Mr K. Chandrasekhara Rao, and the PR senior leader, Mr T. Devender Goud, are some of the regular customers of this this studio.

Even the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, and the tech-savvy Telugu Desam chief, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, have strange poll beliefs and superstitions.

Mr Naidu always gets a woman to file his nomination papers from the Kuppam constituency on his behalf. Soon after filing the nomination papers, the party leaders in Kuppam raise funds for the TD chief’s poll expenditure.

The Chief Minister, Mr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, always launches his poll campaign from the Chevella constituency due to his “sister sentiments” for the minister for mines, Ms P. Sabita Indra Reddy.

Former minister, Mr Mandava Venkateswara Rao, observes a peculiar custom before filing his nomination. He gets slapped by his cousin, Mr Kutumba Rao, in his native village of Dharmavaram.

When asked about this Mr Venkateswara Rao said, “This practice ensures that I remember my responsibilities towards the society.”

Meanwhile, it is customary for the TRS chief, Mr Rao, to offer prayers at the Venkateswara Swamy temple in Konaipally in his native Siddipet constituency before filing the nomination papers.

Chiranjeevi, whose name is derived from the name of Lord Hanuman, is an ardent devotee of Anjaneya. He starts his programmes only after offering prayers to Lord Hanuman.