Gujarat Congress shifts state office to bring 'good luck'

Ahmedabad:  Gujarat Congress today shifted its state headquarters office from Paldi area in the city to Memnagar here, a move apparently aimed at breaking the jinx of losing all major elections in the state ever since the party shifted to the current office in 2001.

The current party office, Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan, is a four-storey building located near V S Hospital in Paldi area. Now, Congress is shifting in a rented office similar in size and with as many floors in Memnagar area.  

According to Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) spokesperson Manish Doshi, the decision had been taken keeping in mind the geographical advantages and ease in handling day-to-day administrative affairs of the party.  

"We have chosen the new location for convenience in handling administrative affairs. It also has some geographical advantages. It is a four-storey building, which we have taken on rent. We have already started the shifting of furniture from today," Doshi said.

The new office will be officially inaugurated on Janmashtami, which falls on September 5. "This office will work as an extension. We will also make use of Paldi office," said Doshi.

Speculation is rife that Congress leaders and party workers have grown suspicious about the Paldi office since past many years, as the party lost all major Assembly as well as Lok Sabha polls, after they built the office in 2001.  

"GPCC built the Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan at Paldi in 2001 after pulling down a bungalow. In the parking area, there is a tomb, which has been kept intact. Current president Bharatsinh Solanki was GPCC president at that time too," a party worker said.

However, the new building apparently proved unlucky for the party, as Congress lost all the major elections in the state and never came back to power here.  

"We lost Assembly elections of 2002, 2007 and 2012. Then, we faced complete whitewash in 2014 Lok Sabha election. Thus, Congress workers started feeling that the Paldi office is unlucky for the party. Though Solanki did many changes as per Vastu Shastra, it yielded no results," a party worker said.  

The move came just ahead of local body polls to be held across the state next month, followed by Assembly elections in 2017.

The BJP leaders, however, were dismissive of the move, saying shifting the office will not benefit Congress.  

"They are day-dreaming if they are hoping to win elections by shifting their office. To win elections, you have to work for the people, which they never did in the past few years. This is just a desperate attempt, which won't meet with any success," media convener of state BJP Jagdish Bhavsar said.