Narmadanand is currently undertaking his fourth Narmada Parikrama.
Ahead of the 2013 MP polls, Narmadanand, youngest of the five religious figures to get the status of minister of state (MoS), performed a 108 kundiya yagya, praying for re-election of the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government.
“I didn’t tell this to anyone before, but I wanted the BJP to win because it is closest to my beliefs and ideology,’’ the 45-year-old told The Indian Express Thursday, claiming that it was the yagya at Gayatri temple that brought BJP back to power.
Narmadanand is currently undertaking his fourth Narmada Parikrama. The parikrama reached Jabalpur Thursday. He began from Omkareshwar on March 26 and will return on April 10, covering the distance in car. He said he would take up his new assignment only after the parikrama.
Two of his parikramas have been on foot. In 2014, before starting his second parikrama, he had prayed for cure of his visual handicap. Asked about his visually handicapped status in railway records, which was highlighted in news reports, he said, “The barefoot parikrama restored my vision.’’
“I used to avail of concessions meant for the visually handicapped but I haven’t used it after 2014,’’ he said. He said his eyesight was weak and doctors had told him there was little hope, following which someone recommended the concession for him.
Asked about his educational background, “If someone meets me, he thinks I am a mahapurush. I am that kind of man.’’
“I did not ask for MoS status, the government gave it to me. I need the status so that no one questions my campaign for planting trees,’’ he said.