Telangana assembly elections 2018: Politicians take to superstitions to ensure victory
Telangana assembly elections 2018: Call it superstitions or sentiments, candidates of various political parties are following strange customs before filing their nominations for the upcoming polls.
Call it superstitions or sentiments, candidates of various political parties in Telangana are following strange customs before filing their nominations for the upcoming state assembly elections.

Take for instance, Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and caretaker chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. Known for his staunch faith in Hindu religious customs and rituals, he has a strange sentiment. Before filing his nomination papers, KCR paid a visit to a small temple of Lord Venkateshwara at Konaipally, a remote village in Nagunuru block of Siddipet district and took divine blessings,
“He made a casual visit to my house a day before filing his nominations in 1985. The next day, he visited the temple and prayed to the deity and he won the elections with a thumping majority. Since then, it has become a sentiment for him to come to the village on the day of nominations and sign the papers in the presence of Lord, before submitting the same,” said N Uma Reddy, KCR’s classmate in degree college at Siddipet.
The TRS chief is going to Konaipally Venkateshwara Swamy temple again on Wednesday to worship the lord before taking out a procession to Gajwel revenue divisional office, about 40 km away, to file his nomination papers.
Senior Congress leader and former minister Ramreddy Damodar Reddy, who is contesting from Suryapet assembly constituency, always carries a leather bag while filing his nomination papers.
He has been doing it since 1985 and he believes the leather bag brings him good luck. He doesn’t keep any money in the bag, but has a book, a pen, some medicines and a water bottle.
For caretaker minister in KCR cabinet, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy luck rides in an Ambassador car. He believes taking his favourite Ambassador car to file nomination can bring victory. And so, he takes the Ambassador out only at the time of filing nomination, as he believes it always brought him good luck.
ABOUT THE AUTHORSrinivasa Rao ApparasuSrinivasa Rao is Senior Assistant Editor based out of Hyderabad covering developments in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana . He has over three decades of reporting experience.

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