Indore: Puja and politics go hand in hand but Lok Sabha 2024 has turned out to be little different with famous temples of Madhya Pradesh known for bringing luck and attaining victory in elections, seeing a sharp decline in movement of politicians and their aides for performing ‘anusthans’ and ‘japas’, keeping priests normally swamped with bookings during elections, almost free.
Away from the hustle and bustle of political campaigning for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls where the ruling BJP aims for the third term in a row while Congress eyes a comeback, Baglamukhi temple in Nalkheda in Agar district and Pitambara Peeth in Datia district of MP have witnessed a drop in ‘anusthans’ and special rituals amid an estimated 50% decline in visits by contestants and politicians this political season as compared to the last state assembly and 2019 Lok Sabha polls, claimed priests and temple administration.
“Very few politicians and their aides have visited temples in this Lok Sabha elections. Usually there is a beeline of politicians to perform ‘anusthans’ and ‘hawans’ but this time its little sluggish, not many people have come to seek blessings,” said Pandit Govind Sharma from Nalkheda temple, a registered priest with the temple committee for more than 10 years.
Priests at Nalkheda temple said more than 30 ‘anusthans’ are usually performed at the temple in a month during elections, but for Lok Sabha polls only a handful were conducted so far.
They said, the last state assembly elections and 2019 Lok Sabha polls saw huge rush of political visitors and bookings for special rituals unlike this Lok Sabha election.
A temple administrator from Pitambara Peeth wishing anonymity said, “There is no rush this time but many politicians have visited in the last two months. Most of these are secret visits where people do not want to disclose their names but if compared to previous elections, visits are few.”
Another priest from Pitambara Peeth wishing anonymity said, “Political movement is less everywhere this time, not just the temple. There was not a single star campaigner meeting in this constituency. This is happening due to a weak opposition in the country.”
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