Key Points:
- Shankaracharya Avimukteshwarananda of Jyotishpeeth has announced he will field independent candidates in all 243 Bihar assembly seats.
- The primary campaign issue is the alleged failure of the government to enforce a complete ban on cow slaughter.
- Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi launched a scathing attack, demanding the Shankaracharya be stripped of his title and calling him a “dirty man.”
- This move is anticipated to split the pro-Hindu vote, potentially impacting the electoral performance of the BJP and its NDA allies.
- The Shankaracharya has launched a statewide “Gau Voter Sankalp Yatra” from Sitamarhi to mobilize public support.
New Delhi: A new political front has emerged in Bihar, as Jyotishpeeth Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwarananda has announced his intention to contest all 243 seats in the upcoming state assembly elections. This unprecedented move by a prominent religious leader is centered on the single issue of cow protection, setting the stage for a direct confrontation with the ruling establishment and potentially fracturing the pro-Hindu vote bank.
Shankaracharya’s Electoral Gambit
Speaking in Patna, Shankaracharya Avimukteshwarananda stated that his decision to enter the electoral fray comes after his appeals to all major political parties to ensure the protection of cows went unanswered. He claims that despite its pro-Hindu stance, the BJP has not taken effective measures to stop cow slaughter since coming to power, a promise he says was central to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2014 campaign. Frustrated by the lack of political will, the Shankaracharya declared he will now take his cause directly to the voters of Bihar.
This is not his first foray into politics. Previously, he had fielded a candidate against Prime Minister Modi in the Varanasi parliamentary constituency on the same issue. To rally support for his cause, he launched a “Gau Voter Sankalp Yatra” across Bihar, which commenced on Saturday from the Maa Janaki temple in Sitamarhi. The yatra aims to visit every district headquarters to consolidate a voter base committed to cow protection.
Fierce Backlash from NDA
The announcement has triggered a political firestorm, with leaders from the ruling NDA alliance launching a sharp counter-attack. Speaking in Bodh Gaya on Saturday, Union Minister and former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi delivered a blistering critique of the religious leader. Manjhi demanded that Swami Avimukteshwarananda be stripped of his Shankaracharya title, labeling him a “dirty man” for his political maneuvering.
Praising the Prime Minister, Manjhi said, “The Prime Minister does what he says. The whole world is seeing what the Prime Minister has done, but Swami Avimukteshwarananda does not see the work of the government.” He highlighted the government’s achievements, citing India’s rise to the world’s fourth-largest economy and the historic lunar landing on the moon’s south pole. “Shankaracharya is not able to see this,” Manjhi added, questioning the timing and motive of the electoral challenge.
While fiercely criticizing the Shankaracharya’s political ambitions, Manjhi acknowledged the democratic framework of the country. “There is democracy in India. Everyone has the right to contest elections. No one can stop anyone,” he conceded.
