The Ramdev twist: Yoga guru's statement on state polls throws both BJP and Congress into a flurry

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev’s cryptic statement on Wednesday that the ongoing Assembly elections will lead to a massive upheaval and result in the downfall of many political heavyweights has fuelled considerable speculation in political circles.

With Baba Ramdev taking care not to pitch for any particular political party, both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress were convinced that his remarks were aimed at their rival.

Speaking to reporters after he cast his vote in the Uttarakhand assembly polls on Wednesday, Baba Ramdev told media persons that people should vote for those who are honest and who will work for the country’s progress. But he refrained from naming any political party or candidate. He went on to add, ”These elections results will bring about huge political upheaval and the ensuing storm will lead to the fall of many political heavyweights……politics is set to take a new direction.”

While the BJP believed that Ramdev was taking potshots at the Congress, it became difficult for the political opponents to decode his remarks as he has not taken sides in the Assembly polls in Uttarakhand, the state where the yoga guru-entrepreneur has set up the country’s biggest yoga institute.

This is in sharp contrast to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections when Ramdev had openly pitched for the BJP, especially Narendra Modi. Declaring that he would not return to his ashram in Haridwar till he defeated the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, Ramdev launched a special campaign to reach out to 50 crore voters to ensure that Modi won a clear majority.

Signs of gratitude

After the elections, a battery of grateful BJP leaders lined up to thank Ramdev for his support, even though Finance Minister Arun Jaitley hinted at one such function that the yoga guru should not expect any special favours from the Modi government. Comparing Ramdev to Mahatma Gandhi, Jaitley said, “The role played by Ramdev in awakening the voters is similar to the struggles of Mahatma Gandhi and Jayprakash Narayan who stayed away from power. He has no greed for any post... His motto is to strengthen the system. Ramdev’s campaign against black money and corruption is similar to those of Mahatma Gandhi and Jayprakash Narayan.”

Nevertheless, the Modi government did give a big push to the Patanjali products manufactured by Ramdev’s vast business establishment by ordering that these be stocked by the government-run Kendriya Bhandars.

Given his special relationship with the BJP, it was surprising that Ramdev chose to stay neutral in the Uttarakhand assembly polls since the yoga guru’s main base is located in the hill-state. Though he is said to have extended financial help to the BJP, Ramdev did not openly campaign for the saffron party. “Maybe he wants to keep Harish Rawat in good humour in case he comes back to power,” said a Congress official, requesting anonymity. “After all, Ramdev has huge investments in Uttarakhand.”

No specific reason is being given for the yoga guru’s silence but it is said that Ramdev has not only cooled to the ruling alliance but has also reached out to other political players who have only been too happy to co-opt him. Unconfirmed reports state that Ramdev is unhappy with the Modi government for according greater importance to another guru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar of the Art of Living programme.

Olive branch

At the same time, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat extended an olive branch to the yoga guru, realising that it would help to have Ramdev on his side, given the influence he wields in the state. Unlike his predecessor Vijay Bahuguna, who had a bitter relationship with Ramdev after he registered several cases against Ramdev’s Patanjali Yogapeeth in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Rawat sought to make amends. The chief minister invited the yoga guru to visit Kedarnath to take a look at the reconstruction work undertaken by the state government following the 2013 flash floods. Ramdev returned the compliment, describing Rawat as an “able chief minister”. Rawat’s outreach to Ramdev had upset the Uttarakhand BJP leaders who felt the Congress leader’s gesture was meant to upstage them.

On his part, Ramdev opened channels of communication with Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad Yadav last year. Not only did Ramdev call on the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief but also stated that Yadav was socially and politically important, he also gave him tips on keeping good health. In turn, Yadav heaped fulsome praise on the yoga guru who, he said, owed his success to his hard work and then went on to endorse his products. Like Rawat, Lalu Yadav also realized that it would be prudent to keep Ramdev in good humour even though the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief had openly attacked him in the past. However, the yoga guru’s decision to reach out to the Rashtriya Janata Dal leader was clearly prompted by business interests.

Similarly, Ramdev has also been all praise for Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Singh Yadav who he said, had taken several measures to develop and modernise Uttar Pradesh. It is no coincidence that Ramdev is setting up a food and herbal park on a 455-acre plot of land in Noida and Akhilesh Yadav laid the foundation stone of this venture when he also assured the yoga guru all help for the establishment of the park.