HYDERABAD: A week after holding discussions with BJP national president Amit Shah, founder of Kakinada-based Sri Peetham, Swami Paripoornananda has formally embraced the saffron party and joined the BJP to start his political endeavour on Friday.“I am a karma yogi and will be a karma chari for the party. I have joined the party to only work and spread the BJP ideology to any corner of the country. There are no expectations with which I have joined the party,” Paripoornananda said while addressing a media conference from New Delhi.
“As a sadhu, I am not tied down to anything and have committed myself to educate and live a religious life. I need nothing and with that intention, I will work for the party from now on,” he added. Realising the auspicious occasion of Vijaya Dasami, the seer, after holding meetings with BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav during the day, joined the party in the presence of party president Amit Shah in New Delhi by the evening.
Paripoornananda has been offered a primary membership to the BJP Telangana state unit. It can be read that he would be considered for contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. His activities, at present, will be restricted to campaigning in Telangana for the upcoming elections. “Swamiji will be an inspiration to the party. He will bring the needed energy and direction to the party in election campaigning. We will utilise his services that are required for anywhere in India but, it would be much utilised for the elections in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh,” announced Shah at the conference.
Dubbed to be the ‘Yogi Adityanath’ of Telangana, Paripoornananda is set to ensure the party promotes its Hindutva linings in Telangana and cement its ‘Hindu’ vote bank. His entry will also be a breather to the saffron party, especially, at a time when it looks to counter the AIMIM and the Congress party after its party president launched a slugfest against them for safeguarding the rights of ‘infiltrators’ as part of its ongoing election campaign.