Vaastu talk as poll debacles hit BJP
Some leaders even suggest party shift back to its old office.
Hyderabad: A series of setbacks and few victories for the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the party shifted to its new headquarters at Delhi has triggered speculation that bad vaastu is to blame. Some leaders are said to be asking for a return to the old party office on 11 Ashoka Road. With an area of over 1.70 lakh square feet, the building was constructed in record time and BJP president Amit Shah had said it is bigger than the office of any other political party in the world.
The building, designed by a Mumbai-based architect firm, was inaugurated on February 18, and the party moved into the building two days later. After Mr Modi become Prime Minister in 2014, the BJP won many state elections in the first three years save a few like Delhi. After shifting to the new building on Deendayal Marg, the graph of party and Mr Modi has been gradually tracking downwards.
While demonetisation and GST predate the shift, their full effects became known only later. Fuel prices are skyrocketing, some cases of rape involving BJP leaders or those in which party leaders took a stand and continuing violence has also affected the party and Mr Modi’s image. The BJP has lost important Lok Sabha bye-elections including in Uttar Pradesh. While there have been victories like those in Tripura, the party could not form government in Karnataka, where Mr B.S. Yeddyurappa had to resign in three days Besides, the NDA is losing major allies, first the Telugu Desam in Andhra Pradesh, the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra and, recently, the People’s Democratic Party in J&K.
Other allies appear to be hedging their bets. On the other hand, there are signs that Opposition parties are coming together especially in crucial states like Uttar Pradesh. So much so, poll surveys are indicating that the BJP could have a difficult time in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The demand to return to the old party headquarters comes in this backdrop.
Asked about this, BJP MP and official spokesperson G.V.L. Narasimha Rao denied the speculations. Speaking to this newspaper, he said there was no such plan and that the party would work from the new office. He said there was no vastu issue in the new headquarters, and dismissed all talk on that front as rumours.