Patna: Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati on Saturday announced his decision to support independent candidates in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections who pledge to act against cow slaughter.
Speaking in Bihar, the Shankaracharya said that despite decades of promises, no political party has shown genuine commitment to ending cow slaughter. “In the Bihar elections, we will vote for cow protection and Sanatan Dharma. Even after 78–79 years and many assurances, no party has committed to act against cow slaughter,” he said.
He added that candidates will be fielded from all 243 seats in the state but refused to disclose their names for now, citing fears that early disclosure could lead to cancellation of their candidature.
The announcement comes a day after the Shankaracharya launched the “Gau Raksha Sankalp Yatra” in Bihar, underlining his resolve to make cow protection a central poll issue.