NOIDA jinx: Are UP politicians avoiding a visit to Nithari?

New Delhi, Jan 22 (UNI) The fear of the ''NOIDA jinx'' seems to be keeping top political leaders from Uttar Pradesh, both from the ruling and opposition parties, away from Nithari even as the gruesome serial killings continue to dominate headlines across the country.

The ''visit NOIDA and lose power'' superstition is apparently haunting the politicians who would otherwise not miss a chance to descend on a place where public attention is centred.

Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav has not visited Nithari in NOIDA, a stone's throw away from Delhi, despite making several trips to the national capital and even BJP chief Rajnath Singh, who has been to Singur in West Bengal twice, has not set foot at the ''scene of the horrific crimes''.

Despite the public outrage and furore after the Nithari killings came to light, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Leader of the Opposition L K Advani have not gone to the area.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi and BSP Chief Mayawati are the exceptions with both visiting Nithari after the crimes were unearthed.

Even state BJP leaders with the exception of Vinay Katiyar have avoided a visit to NOIDA, leaving the local leaders to fend for themselves.

Sources say that Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh tend to avoid a trip to NOIDA because all those who visited the area, including Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav and Ms Mayawati, earlier have lost power after their visit.

The first Chief Minister to ''visit NOIDA and lose power'' was Mr N D Tiwari in 1989 who was voted out of power in about a month.

Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav went to NOIDA in the 1990s but lost power in a couple of months as the BSP withdrew its support to the state government. When Ms Mayawati became the CM, she also went to NOIDA and shortly after her visit, the BJP withdrew support to her government.

The Noida jinx factor had such impact that in 2002, Ms Mayawati unveiled foundation stones for two Noida-based projects, the Gautam Budh University and the Noida Expressway from Ambedkar Park, from Lucknow.

Mr Rajnath Singh, who never visited NOIDA as Chief Minister of UP, is said to have jocularly advised Mr Yadav to visit NOIDA as he had nothing to lose and would certainly not be Uttar Pradesh CM after the elections.

UNI