Vastu-compliant Cong office invites ridicule from BJP

Mangaluru: The repair works being undertaken at the District Congress Committee (DCC) office at Mallikatta, are seen as an attempt to set right the vastu, ahead of the state assembly elections. Though senior leaders from the party maintained that repair works being undertaken were part of routine maintenance, sources from the party hinted that efforts were on to set right vastu, ahead of the assembly elections.
The party office building at Mallikatta was inaugurated when Siddaramaiah was the chief minister. Prior to this, the office was functioning from a rented premise in Hampankatta. The results in the assembly and Lok Sabha polls were disappointing for the party, and one of the reasons could be that the party never emphasised on vastu during construction, said a leader, adding that these measures will help in the revival of the party’s luck in the coastal region, that is now considered as the BJP’s bastion.
The Congress that bagged seven out of eight assembly constituency seats in Dakshina Kannada in 2013, managed only one seat in the 2018 elections.
Some of the changes being taken up include adding an extra step to the staircase at the entrance. Party sources said earlier, there were eight steps which is seen as an unlucky number and the party decided to add another step to the office building.
DCC president K Harish Kumar queried, “Only repair works were being undertaken, and it has nothing to do with vastu. Toilets are also being repaired. If we have to go by Vastu, we may have to change the entire building. These are just routine maintenance works. Is repairing a building a big issue?”
The BJP however has criticised the Congress for following vastu. BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel tweeted: “Congress leaders who have made a habit of insulting the traditions, customs and ideas of Hinduism, have now resorted to vastu for the sake of the party. Sanatan Dharma has a solution for everything; let’s stop such gimmicks and respect Hinduism. They make fun of every Hindu ritual. Prediction of defeat in the assembly elections has promptyed Congress to make unprecedented efforts. Former CM Siddaramaiah said he was afraid if he saw someone putting saffron tilak.”