Godmen' readying to contest Assembly polls

New Delhi, Aug 12: Religious leaders in Madhya Pradesh are preparing to jump into the political fray and contest the state Assembly polls due later this year.

This comes against the backdrop of the state government according the Minister of State (MoS) status to five such 'godmen' in April this year.

Some of these religious leaders are ready to contest as Independents, if no political party offers them tickets.

Swami Namdev Tyagi, popularly called as 'Computer Baba' by his followers, who was accorded the MoS status in April, says he will fight the polls only if MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan asks him to do so.

"If Chouhanji asks me to fight the Assembly polls, I am ready for it," he told media.

However, a source close to Tyagi claimed that he is doing hectic lobbying to contest the election from Indore.

Baba Avdeshpuri (47), who holds a doctorate degree in
'Ram Charit Manas' (an epic poem composed by Tulsidas), is inclined to enter the electoral fray from Ujjain district on the BJP's ticket.

Yogi Ravinath Mahiwale from Raisen district has also started his campaign for the Assembly polls.