By Express News Service

BHOPAL: The battle for the prestigious Bhopal Lok Sabha seat seems to be turning into a show of strength between the saffron-clad Sadhvi and Sadhus.

A day before BJP national president Amit Shah embarks on a road-show in the communally sensitive Bhopal North assembly segment in support of party candidate the saffron-clad Pragya Singh Thakur, hundreds of sadhus from all across the country descended to an open ground in Bhopal n Tuesday to perform rituals for the electoral success of Congress candidate and ex-CM Digvijaya Singh.

Led by Indore-based controversial sadhu Namdev Tyagi ‘Computer Baba,’ who has been campaigning for the Congress since 2018 assembly polls in the state, the sadhus performed series of rituals, including the Hatha Yoga and Havans under the scorching sun at an open ground in Bhopal.

At the same ground, the Congress candidate Digvijaya Singh along with wife Amrita Rai Singh performed 'havan' under the supervision of Computer Baba. The sadhus also announced that since Prime Minister Narendra Modi has deserted the cause of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, so they would campaign against him. The sadhus led by Computer Baba gave the slogan Ram Ram Hi Abki Baar, Badal Ke Rakh Do Chowkidar.

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Meanwhile, in a related development, a BJP delegation complained to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO-MP) in Bhopal on Tuesday against Digvijaya Singh and Computer Baba.

In the complaint, the BJP alleged that since last ten days, sadhus are being used by the Congress candidate and Computer Baba for poll campaigning in Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency, on which around Rs 50 lakh has already been incurred.

In the complaint, it was also alleged each of the around 1500 sadhus used for the event at the open ground in Bhopal on Tuesday were paid Rs 11,111, while the head of each group of sadhus got Rs one lakh each from the Congress candidate.

The sadhus are staying in accommodations arranged by Singh in Bhopal and being rendered royal cuisine. After every two-four days, the accommodation of the sadhus is changed by the Congress party candidate’s team.

The BJP delegation demanded that entire expenditure incurred on the sadhus in Bhopal be added into the poll expenditure of the Congress candidate and both Digvijaya Singh and Computer Baba be booked for poll code violation, as no permission was given to them by EC for holding such religious events to further the Congress’ electoral cause.

Jain saint asks community to back Digvijaya

Jain saint Pushpdant Sagarji Maharaj, meanwhile, has appealed the Jain community in Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency to back Digvijaya Singh. A 58-seconds video showing the Jain saint ask the Jain community to back Singh was posted on the official WhatsApp group of the Congress candidate in Bhopal on Tuesday.