Write Comment     |     E-Mail To a Friend     |     Facebook     |     Twitter     |     Print

Sadananda Gowda has been told that every chief minister who thought of shifting turf club has incurred wrath of the deity of the temple on its premises and failed to complete term

After winning the council elections, chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda who is trying to strengthen his gaddi, has been advised to avoid meddling with the vexed Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) issue.

A popular belief among insiders at the club is that the earlier chief ministers, who had tried to rake up the issue of shifting the facility outside the city, invited the wrath of Muneshwara (Lord Shiva), the deity at the temple on the premises. And hence, their tenures have been cut short.
 
The latest name added to this list is former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, who was keen on shifting BTC to the outskirts. Incidentally, BSY had to step down in the light of corruption allegations against him.
 
New incumbent Sadananda Gowda has so far not held any review meeting on the issue since he took over the reins. “Sadananda Gowda has been advised by his well-wishers not to re-open the turf club shifting file, not at a time when the CM has to strengthen his position and save his chair.

Though Gowda is not as superstitious as his predecessor, he still does not want to test his luck. Even the BTC members do not want to discuss the issue on their own,” a source said.
 
Sources in BTC said Muneshwara is considered as the caretaker of the property. “Every chief minister who has tried to shift the turf club out of the city has lost his chair. The belief is that it is the curse of the deity,” said a BTC member.
 
This belief has its origin from the period of late chief minister Ramakrishna Hegde, who first mooted the proposal to shift the BTC. Hegde had to resign following a land scandal and liquor bottling contract scam.
 
Similarly, S M Krishna was also keen on relocating BTC. Before completing his term, Krishna went in for elections and the Congress was routed. Even his successors H D Kumaraswamy and Yeddyurappa could not complete their terms.
 
Sources said Yeddyurappa, who was trying hard to make a comeback after obtaining bail, visited the BTC temple recently. “He came to the temple with energy minister Shobha Karandlaje and offered his prayers to the deity. The buzz is that he has apologised to the deity and swore not to shift BTC if he came back to power,” a source said.