Lunar Eclipse on Karnataka Politics: Almost Every Minister, Politician Skips Work to Ward Off 'Evil'

Bengaluru: That politicians in India often go a little overboard with their superstitions is no surprise. Sticking to the tradition, almost all political leaders in Karnataka skipped work on Friday because lunar eclipse is all about “negative vibes”.

Karnataka politicians across political lines took the day off fearing the red moon day. Leaders from all parties, including Congress, BJP, JDS and other smaller parties, refused to come out of their houses on this day.

Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and his sons Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, Public Works Department Minister HD Revanna visited the Tirupathi Temple and returned to Bengaluru on Friday morning.

The troika did not attend any political meet and Revanna and Deve Gowda stayed at the house while Kumaraswamy attended Deputy CM G Parameshwara’s elder brother’s funeral rites in Tumkur.

Not just that, special pujas were conducted at Deve Gowda’s residence to ward off the “evil effect”. The Gowda family believes these rituals will protect them from all negative vibes of the lunar eclipse that will start at 10:44 pm in India and end at 4:58 am.

On the other hand, former Chief Minister of Karnataka, BS Yeddyurappa shifted to Jindal Hospital a day before the eclipse. Before admitting himself to the hospital, he had given clear instructions to his party members not to indulge in any kind of political activities as he believes it will have adverse effect on the party in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The Gowdas and Yeddyurappa are known for their beliefs in Hindu ritual practices, astrology and vaastu.

The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Samithi (KPCC) office on Queen’s Road in Bengaluru was shut on Friday and the entire area wore a deserted look. Even the state power house, the Vidhan Soudha had a similar look as not a single MLA could be seen on Friday.

The Vidhan Soudha car parking was completely empty, which on weekdays is usually flooded by political leaders, their followers, party workers and officers.

Speaking to News18, JDS leader and cabinet minister GT Deve Gowda said that he doesn’t indulge in blind beliefs. “I don’t believe in astrology. I will not sit back at home just because it’s lunar eclipse. If I work on these days, which are considered dangerous in astronomy, I don’t think I will be harmed. It’s up to individual perceptions,” GT Deve Gowda said.

Siddaramaiah is known to be a believer of the ‘Basava Tatva’ and had expressed his disapproval of such beliefs. During his tenure as the chief minister, he had openly said that he won’t support blind beliefs and science is all that he has faith in.