Computer Baba presses refresh button, to back Congress in Madhya Pradesh

Jabalpur: A group of religious figures led by godman Computer Baba on Friday declared support to the Congress for November 28 Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh.

It marks a radical change in the political stand of Swami Namdev Tyagi, popularly known as Computer Baba, who had been anointed as a minister of state by the BJP government.

Computer Baba had organised ‘Narmade Sansad’, a gathering of like-minded religious leaders from various states including Uttar Pradesh, in Jabalpur on Friday to decide which party they should support in the polls.

"The saints will support the Congress," he said at the gathering.

"When we can give fifteen years to them (the Bharatiya Janata Party), then we can surely give five years to Congress," he said.

"If Congress upholds dharma, we will go with them in future or else we will withdraw the support," he said.

In April, the BJP government in the state accorded him the status of Minister of State alongwith five others by appointing him on a committee for conservation of the river Narmada. Before that, he had announced a ‘yatra’ (procession) to expose illegal sand mining in the Narmada.

He resigned in October, accusing Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of being a hypocrite and not fulfilling the promises made to him. The BJP government did little to stop illegal mining in the river, he alleged.