Dismissing all suggestions given by astrologers and well-wishers, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu decided to start his 117-day padayatra from Hindupur in Anantapur district on Oct. 2 and end it on Jan. 26 in Srikakulam district.
The walkathon has been christened Vastunna Mee Kosam, which loosely means ‘I’m coming for you.’
According to sources, astrologers had advised Naidu not to embark on his walk anytime during Oct 1 to 15, which would fall in the Pitru Pakshalu period during which new activities are not advised. Since the navaratris begin on Oct. 16, the soothsayers advised him to start out on Oct 25, or Vijayadasami, the grandest day in the Hindu calendar.
However, the TDP boss dismissed these suggestions and chose oct. 2, Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, and Jan. 26, Republic Day. He reportedly declared, “No day is more auspicious than Oct. 2 or Jan 26.”
However, on the question of where to start off his yatra from, Naidu bowed to vaastu experts and chose Hindupur.
Naidu had been considering starting the yatra from Adilabad or Kosgi in Mahbubnagar district. But some vaastu experts informed him that starting the yatra from Adilabad would take him anti-clockwise. Not a good thing to do. If, however, the walk began from Hindupur and proceeded due north and then turned east, it would obey the clock-wise principle and fetch the desired outcome. So Hindupur.
However, insiders said it wasn’t vaastu that decided it for Naidu. Hindupur was chosen simply because it was TDP founder N T Ramarao’s constituency.
Naidu’s decision did not please astrologers, one of whom told TDP leaders Yanamala Ramakrishnudu and Kambhampati Rammohan Rao that Oct. 2 was not a good date if the welfare of the people be considered.
Naidu is not known to be superstitious but some Telangana leaders recalled that before the 2009 elections, the TDP finalised its alliance with the TRS and other political parties at an auspicious hour fixed by TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao’s astrologer. But that did not give Naidu the results he wanted. The Grand Alliance failed to capture power and has lost every byelection since then. On the other hand, the TRS has won all but one byelection since then. Perhaps it matters on whose side the astrologer is.