CM Jagan seeks blessings from Sarada Peeth seer

Following the footstep of his counterpart in Telangana, Y S Jaganmohan Reddy sought blessings of the seer of Sarada Peeth in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday before taking up cabinet expansion.

K Chandrasekhar Rao had sought the blessings of the seer in December. Both the leaders won the elections with thumping majority. However, the Telangana CM is also a believer of another seer of Andhra origin, Chinna Jeeyar Swamy.

The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh was given a traditional welcome with 'Poorna Khumba' at the Sarada peeth the abode of mother goddess Raja Shyamala. The Seer who kissed the forehead of his favourite disciple huddled with him for over an hour. The party sources said it was a thanksgiving visit after the YSR Congress party’s victory in recent elections.

Jaganmohan Reddy first met Swaroopanandendra Sarswathi before he launched his 360-day padayatra that proved to be the major game-changer in his political career. He again met the seer before the elections.

However, K Chandrasekhar Rao began his Federal Front Political Yatra from the seer’s ashram in Visakhapatnam. He even and prostrated before the seer and participated in a rare Raja Shyamala yaga conducted by the seer.

However, being a Christian by birth Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has been admonished by certain Christian clergy for moving closely with the Hindu pontiffs. Just before elections, an anonymous video showing Jagan in a traditional attire near a water body in presence of the Sarada Peeth seer went viral. It had a caption saying that Jagan was given a 'Ghar vapsee' by the seer.

Jagan has had to reassure the clergy time and again that he was not wavering from his beliefs. On the day of taking oath Jagan had the holy Bible placed on the podium where he took oath while a preacher organised a prayer for him.