The chief minister-elect of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje, is not only very religious, also has an obsession with “vastu” and numbers.
Though many consider the number 13 as inauspicious, Raje has a fascination for the number and considers it lucky. After her defeat in 2008, Raje chose bungalow number 13 at Civil Lines as her official residence. A former chief minister is eligible to enjoy facilities that of a cabinet minister.
Raje, who is all set to take oath as the 24th chief minister has chosen December 13 for assuming the reins of power in the state for a second time.
Her former cabinet colleague Digamber Singh, who was then staying in the bungalow, was asked to vacate by the administration for renovation according to “vastu”.
Singh had then told this correspondent: “I took this bungalow as none of the ministers in the cabinet were ready to move-in due to its inauspicious number. Now I was told that madam is interested. It is quite surprising.”
During her first stint as the chief minister, Raje had come in for serious criticism from the opposition Congress and various other quarters for spending a large sum of public money for the renovation of the chief minister’s residence according to “vastu”.
She had constructed a separate glitzy chief minister’s block at the secretariat.
“She does everything with class,” said a confidante pointing out to the multi-storeyed underground parking at the secretariat constructed during her tenure.