'JINXED' OAKOVER TO BE NEW CM’S RESIDENCE

SHIMLA: For the last five years, Oakover — the official residence of the Himachal chief minister — wore a deserted look as incumbent Virbhadra Singh preferred to reside in his private residence — Holy lodge — but it is abuzz with activity again as the state officials began sprucing up the building for its new occupant.

Oakover is one of the early houses that came up in Shimla. The house however, is said to be jinxed as it remains deserted for every alternate five year term and is occupied for five years in the intervening terms. The anti incumbency factor that changes a chief minister once in every five years, play its role in securing an occupant followed by an unoccupied status for a 5 year period of what is the most famous address in the state capital here.

Oakover was once the summer retreat of Maharaja of Patiala but became into official residence of Himachal chief ministers when the state’s founder chief minister YS Parmar moved into the British-era building in 1972.

Before Oakover, Eva lodge in Chaura Maidan and old cottage in Benmore were the official residences of chief minister. YS Parmar stayed in Oakover from 1972 to 1977 and moved to his private residence soon when Congress appointed Ram Lal Thakur as his successor.

In 1977, Shanta Kumar formed the first non-congress government. However, Oakover gained the reputation of being jinxed when Shanta Kumar- led-government was dislodged after its legislators defected to support Congress Thakur Ram Lal in 1980.

Thakur Ram Lal remained chief minister till 1983 until Congress replaced him with Virbhadra Singh who was minister for state industries in Indira Gandhi's cabinet.

Virbhadra Singh after taking over reigns preferred to stay in Holy lodge. Shanta Kumar in 1998 again formed the government and moved into Oakover . He renamed Oakover as Shail Kunj but his government Janata Dal-led government in the centre imposed President’s rule in the state after the demolition of Babri masjid in Ayodhya.