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As the process of allotting government bungalows to Maharashtra Cabinet ministers gets underway, the iconic Ramtek bungalow in Mumbai’s upscale Malabar Hill is not finding any takers.
Despite its scenic sea-facing views and luxurious surroundings, the bungalow’s reputation as ‘unlucky’ deters potential occupants.
The bungalow has gained infamy for its purported curse, with a history of allegations and career setbacks befalling its residents. The superstition is influencing Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekar Bawankule, also the state BJP chief, who has been allocated the property but is reluctant to move in.
Sources told India Today TV that Bawankule is in discussions with fellow Cabinet minister Pankaja Munde to exchange the Ramtek bungalow for the one allotted to her.
Munde, however, reportedly has no reservations about the property. Her father, the late Gopinath Munde — former Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister — had once resided there, giving her an emotional connection to the bungalow.
WHY IS BUNGALOW OMEN FOR MINISTERS?
The Ramtek bungalow has earned the reputation for being an unlucky one for Maharashtra ministers and this tag is underlined by a few similar instances in the past.
Chhagan Bhujbal (NCP): During the Congress-NCP coalition government, Bhujbal served as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and resided at Ramtek. In 2003, his name surfaced in the Telgi stamp paper scam, forcing him to resign.
Eknath Khadse (NCP): As Agriculture Minister from 2014 to 2016 under the BJP-Shiv Sena government, Khadse faced corruption allegations while residing at Ramtek. These allegations led to his resignation.
Chhagan Bhujbal (NCP): Returning as Food and Civil Supplies Minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in 2019, Bhujbal’s tenure coincided with the government’s collapse in just two and a half years.
Deepak Kesarkar (Shinde Sena): Kesarkar, formerly Minister of School Education and Marathi Language, was another occupant who experienced setbacks. While the Mahayuti alliance saw success in recent Assembly elections, Kesarkar failed to secure a ministerial position in Devendra Fadnavis’s Cabinet.
The BJP-led Mahayuti government in Maharashtra recently announced the portfolio allocation with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis keeping the Home Ministry and NCP leader Ajit Pawar getting Finance and Planning departments.
Former Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde got Urban Development, Housing, and Public Works (Public Enterprises).
