UP Polls: What's Famous 'Noida Jinx' that Keeps CMs, Top Politicians Away from Delhi's Neighborhood?

Noida, a city now known for residential societies and corporate offices also has an interesting “political superstition” associated with it. The “Noida jinx” is a superstitious belief among political parties and chief ministers in Uttar Pradesh that a person who goes to Noida during their chief ministership loses the next elections.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who himself has talked about the jink earlier, is set to visit the Gautam Buddha Nagar district on Thursday for the first time in many years – a move seems to be viewed as his response to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s remark that Yadav fears visiting the area.

What’s the Origin of the Noida Jinx?

In the late eighties, two CMs — Vir Bahadur Singh and ND Tiwari — lost their jobs just after visiting Noida. Bahadur Singh had to step down in June 1988 a few days after he returned from the city. However, a senior bureaucrat once told News18, “Noida was a cash rich cow and bureaucrats wanted to keep netas away from it. That’s how the myth around Noida jinx was born and took route.”

Yadav had stayed away from visiting Noida during his tenure as the chief minister in 2012-17. Adityanath had taken digs at the SP leader for avoiding Noida by saying being in the office of chief minister “their own life and position of power was more important than the people of the district”.

CM Yogi Adityanath, however, has rejected superstitious beliefs and repeatedly visited the area, his latest being in January when he reviewed the Covid-19 situation in Greater Noida. Back in 2018, Yadav said the effect of the “Noida Jinx” would be seen in the coming years, referring to CM Adityanath’s visit around the time.

PM Modi responded saying he was very happy that Adityanath came to Noida. “I am very happy. Due to his dress, few people find it fashionable to believe that CM Yogi Adityanath is not ‘modern enough’ but it is Yogi Adityanath Ji who has done what CMs of UP never did- he came to Noida. Faith is important but blind faith is not desirable,” he had said.

Modi further said when he became chief minister, he was asked to avoid certain places because they were “inauspicious.” “I was clear I would go to all those places in my first year itself. There were superstitions associated w/Noida & in his own style, Yogi Adityanath Ji rose above them and came to Noida,” he said.

On Thursday, Yadav is set to visit the “jinxed” city as part of the marathon campaigning in Shamli, Baghpat and Ghaziabad. Senior party leaders said Yadav is expected to address a press conference in Noida on Thursday.

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