WITH politicians cutting across party lines taking a plunge in the Ganga, the ongoing Maha Kumbh at Allahabad is fast turning into a preparatory ground for political parties, primarily the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party in view of the 2014 Lok Sabha election.
While the politicians don’t want to miss the opportunity of taking a dip in the holy river on the auspicious occasion, what is making them stand out of the masses is their endeavour to seek blessings from seers and saints who have been camping at the Kumbh city.
Latest is news of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, who will reach Allahabad on February 12 to take a holy dip. Amidst speculation doing rounds that Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi might get endorsed by seers and saints as Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate, the marg darshan mandal meeting being organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to be held on February 6 is likely to pass a resolution on the Ayodhya dispute.
The conglomeration of around 300 seers and saints from across the country will also discuss the issue of Ganga pollution and cow slaughter.
Reliable sources told TOI that the ‘sant samaj’ might support Modi. In such a scenario, pressure will mount on the BJP’s central leadership as several prominent leaders are already promoting Modi’s name.
In fact, there had been difference of opinion among seers and saints on party lines in general and Modi in particular. A section of seers and saints supported by a Shankaracharya have even claimed that those advocating the name of Modi as prime ministerial candidate are fake seers and saints. Amidst all this, Maha Kumbh has turned into a preparatory ground for drafting a blueprint of political strategies for political parties in general and BJP in particular keeping in mind the 2014 Lok Sabha election.
Earlier, there were reports that Modi might visit Kumbh on February 7, a day after BJP national chief Rajnath Singh will be at the Kumbh.
The national BJP chief was to visit Lucknow on Tuesday for the first time after becoming national party chief but the visit was cancelled at the eleventh hour due to incessant rains that lashed most parts of the state. He will now visit Kumbh on February 6 as per his earlier programme. Singh will be accompanied by state BJP chief Laxmikant Bajpayi in Allahabad, where he is likely to be joined by veteran BJP leader Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, who will also be in Allahabad on Wednesday. Earlier, national vice-presidents of BJP Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Kalraj Misra had gone to attend Kumbh Mela.
The beeline of politicians to Kumbh is not confined to the Bharatiya Janata Party. Several leaders from other parties too have visited the Kumbh. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav visited Sangam twice since the mela began. Senior Maharashtra Congress leader Kripa Shanker Singh visited Kumbh and took a holy dip in Ganga on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.
There are reports that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and party’s newly appointed vice-president Rahul Gandhi will also visit Kumbh sooner than later. Similarly, leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj is also expected to attend the Mela to seek the blessings of seers and saints.
Click here to read the original article at Timesofindia
