Bad omen much? No takers for No 13 car in UDF cabinet

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: No ministers in the UDF cabinet came forward to select the No 13 car, purportedly fearing a bad omen. The car number 13 was last used by the previous government's Agriculture Minister P Prasad. The Tourism Department allocates cars to ministers. Usually, the cars used by the previous government are handed over to the next government after completing all repair works.

After the oath-taking ceremony, the allocation of vehicles was done, but interestingly, no minister came up to select the No 13. It is customary for ministers to be given numbers based on their requests. It is reported that Shibu Baby John requested number 51. O. J. Janeesh requested number 10 and Ramesh Chennithala number 9.

Thomas Isaac, the Finance Minister in the first Pinarayi government, used the car number 13. At the beginning of the first Pinarayi government, many ministers were hesitant to take up car number 13, but Isaac came forward. No one in the Oommen Chandy government, which preceded the Pinarayi government, used car number 13. MA Baby, who was the Education Minister in the VS Achuthanandan government in 2006, also travelled in a vehicle number 13. It is not known if the it it is the superstition that keeps away the ministers from the number 13 car.