Our Bureau
NEW DELHI/ SHILLONG: Rituals seem to have become the obsession of the politicians who seek divine intervention expecting good luck.
While the ritual of feeding a goat at his residence, seeking divine intervention, did not provide any luck to sacked Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, back in Shillong, the act of a goat sacrifice provided heavenly blessings to Deputy Speaker Sanbor Shullai as he won the Assembly election and retained the post for the second time, though the Shillong South denied having done any such ritual.
According to sources, Shullai resorted to the puja in the Assembly at Khyndai Lad seeking divine intervention and praying for a favourable verdict in the Assembly election held in February.
An Assembly staff said he had also heard about the matter, but added that the purpose may be to ensure his victory since almost all the Deputy Speakers in the past had failed to win the elections.
The fear that he may also face the similar fate of his predecessors must have prompted him (Shullai) to do this, the Assembly staff added.
It was few hours before he was axed that Bansal had restored to the ritual seeking blessings from above, but in vain. However, the ritual definitely proved beneficial for Shullai.
When contacted, Shullai said that he was not aware of any such thing.