13 hours agoPolitics
42LENS
2 SourcesKerala, India
thebalanced.newsKerala Ministers Avoid Official Car Number 13 Amid Superstition Concerns
Kerala's newly sworn-in UDF government continues to avoid assigning official car number 13 to any minister, reflecting a longstanding superstition despite the state's rationalist traditions. While vehicle numbers 1 to 12 were allocated promptly, number 13 remains unclaimed. This practice echoes past governments, even after the Kerala High Court and Supreme Court criticized such superstitions. Some leaders, like Congress's CK Hareendran, have challenged the stigma by choosing room number 13, but the reluctance persists among ministers.
Political Bias
25%67%8%
Sentiment
55%
AI Analysis
Political bias across 2 sources
● Left 25%● Center 67%● Right 8%
The articles present perspectives from both ruling party members and historical government practices, highlighting the persistence of superstition across political lines in Kerala. They include references to Congress leaders challenging the superstition and mention past CPI-M ministers who used number 13 vehicles, reflecting a balanced view without favoring any political party or ideology.
Sentiment — Neutral (55/100)
The tone across the articles is neutral and factual, focusing on the cultural and political aspects of the superstition without judgment. Coverage includes historical context and official responses, maintaining an informative and objective stance without sensationalism or criticism.
How 2 sources covered this story
Each source's own headline, political lean, and sentiment — so you can see framing differences at a glance.
| Source | Their headline | Bias | Sentiment |
|---|---|---|---|
| news18 | Kerala's New Govt Has An Old Problem: Nobody Wants Car No.13 | Center | Neutral |
| mint | No takers for 'unlucky' official car no 13 in new Kerala government Today News | Center | Neutral |
Coverage timeline
mint broke this story on 19 May, 03:49 pm. Other outlets followed.
- 1mint19 May, 03:49 pmNo takers for 'unlucky' official car no 13 in new Kerala government Today News
- 2news1820 May, 06:44 amKerala's New Govt Has An Old Problem: Nobody Wants Car No.13
Lens Score breakdown
42/100
Public interest0/100
Coverage gap100%
Story is receiving appropriate media attention relative to public interest.
Who's involved
Institutions and figures named across source coverage.
Government
Kerala GovernmentKerala PR DepartmentSupreme CourtKerala High Court
Political
BJPIUMLUDF GovernmentCPMKerala CongressRSPCongress
Judiciary
Supreme CourtKerala High Court
Story context
- Category
- Politics
- Location
- Kerala, India
- Sources analysed
- 2
- Last analysed
- 20 May 2026
- Key entities
- KeralaChief ministerShibu Baby JohnUnited Democratic Front (Kerala)Cabinet (government)Sunny Joseph (politician)Monce JosephP. K. KunhalikuttyRamesh ChennithalaGovernment of KeralaIndian National CongressLeft Democratic Front
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