Kerala's 'jinxed' Manmohan Bungalow, yet another Minister move out

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The jinx attached to the imposing Manmohan Bungalow, located next to the Raj Bhawan -- the official residence of the Kerala Governor here -- seems to have continued when state Transport Minister Antony Raju vacated it last week after he resigned as Minister.

It is believed that anyone who stays in this residence will either not last a full-term as a minister or will not get re-elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly.

Now all eyes are on Minister of Culture and Fisheries Saji Cherian, who was staying in a rented building taken by the Kerala government and with the exit of Raju from the cabinet, Cherian has to move in.

Incidentally, this house after the exit of Raju should have gone to his replacement in the cabinet -- actor-turned-politician K.B. Ganesh Kumar.

Kumar knows this residence, more than anyone, as in his early youth days, his father R. Balakrishnan Pillai, while staying in the bungalow had to quit as a Minister on account of an inflammatory speech.

And the grapevine is hence, Kumar decided to stay in his own house.

Built in the pre-Independence era by the erstwhile Travancore family, the first Minister to stay in it was P.S. Nataraja Pillai in 1954, in the government of Travancore-Cochin state, prior to the formation of Kerala.

Pillai after a few days at the imposing palatial building moved out of the house after a few days stating that he did not want such a big house.

The others who stayed there and suffered a reversal included T.U. Kuruvilla, who had to quit following a scandal.

Then replacing him was Mons Joseph, he moved out for his leader P.J. Joseph who returned after getting a clean chit over a scam.

Joseph soon resigned after his party decided to join the Congress-led UDF.

Later came Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who came under fire after he put a new gate, and a few months later moved out to another house.

Incidentally, legendary Karunakaran was also a resident and completed a five-year term and also won the next election and became the Chief Minister also, but after a month he had to quit as Chief Minister following an adverse court verdict.

Another person, who fell to the jinx, was State Finance Minister Thomas Isaac, who stayed for the entire term of five years 2016 to 2021, and when he felt he would get another ticket to the 2021 Assembly polls, the CPI(M) decided not to give exemption to any leader and he failed to get a ticket.

And now with Raju moving out, the jinx continues.

So all eyes are now on Saji Cherian, the new resident who will soon move in. But, even before moving in, he has kicked up a controversy when at a political meeting in his home district, Alappuza on Sunday, he slammed the Christian bishops for taking part in the luncheon meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi last week.

“These bishops when they got the call forgot issues like Manipur, and after having cake and wine they forgot everything,” said Cherian.

Reacting to it was the spokesperson of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Conference Fr Jacob Palakapally, who said the statement of the Minister was in very bad taste and should have never said like that.