April 26 might turn out to be a gamechanging day for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls as two top shots, boasting of a massive public following in India, are set to share the stage at a function. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Yoga guru Ramdev 's Acharya Kulam, a school based on Vedic-cum-modern education near Patanjali Yog Vidyapith, Haridwar, in the presence of spiritual heavyweights, some of them commanding a following in crores.

Others who will attend the event include Morari Bapu and Rameshji Oza, two religious preachers with a wide appeal across India, Dr P ranav Pandya, the current head of the Gayatri Parivar movement of late Pandit Ram Sharma, Virendra Hegde, the most popular spiritual leader of Karnataka besides the pontiff of the Pejawarpith in South India.

Efforts are also being made to rope in Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, with whom Modi shares a great personal equation.

Though an educational function, the event has a pronounced political tone and could turn out to be a game changer for the Lok Sabha elections - the coming together of Modi and Ramdev on a single platform and that too, in the presence of a galaxy of Hindu spiritual leaders, will virtually mean massive endorsement of Modi as the prime ministerial candidate.

According to sources close to Modi and Ramdev, massive plans are now being chalked out by the powerful duo as to how to add to the strong pro-Modi public undercurrent, particularly in the states where the BJP has no presence. In such states, the strategy aims to rope in the local spiritual figures who have great command over the masses, cutting across political affiliations. Modi already has a strong individual appeal even in states such as Tamil Nadu and Andhra P radesh, where the BJP has little presence, and it is expected that roping in these spiritual figures, many of whom are Modi admirers already, will make a big difference in the non- saffron states.

What is now of interest about the April 26 event are two things: One, whether Modi and Ramdev will use the platform to give an unequivocal political message of their coming together when they speak at what is ostensibly a social or educational function. And two, would the spiritual leaders openly endorse Modi for the highest job. Clearly, political pundits will await the game changing event's outcome with bated breath.

