Kerala ministers wary of vehicle No 13; CK Hareendran opts for Room 13 again

Thiruvananthapuram: Is the number 13 really unlucky? After this Assembly election, legislators and ministers seem divided on the question. Though the new cabinet assumed office on Monday and official vehicles were allotted to ministers, none chose the car bearing the number 13. Since no one requested it, there is no official ministerial car with that number this time.

This is not the first time a UDF government has avoided the number 13. During the previous LDF government, then Agriculture Minister P Prasad used the No. 13 car.

In the first Pinarayi Vijayan government, former Finance Minister TM Thomas Isaac had also used the same number. However, during the 2011 UDF government, there was no car with the number 13. Earlier, in 2006, during the government led by VS Achuthanandan, then Education Minister MA Baby had taken the vehicle.

A similar situation exists with Room No 13 in the MLA Hostel. There has long been a belief that MLAs staying in Room 13 of the Nila Block in Thiruvananthapuram fail to win the next election. As a result, legislators usually avoided choosing the room. But for the past 10 years, CK Hareendran has been staying in Room 13, dismissing all such superstitions.

Despite being a senior MLA eligible for a better room, CK Hareendran chose to continue there. People close to him say he has requested the same room again this time and will continue staying there.