Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has kept his poll campaign centred on spiritual leader Swami Vivekananda, attempting to keep his Hindutva image intact while reaching out to other communities, to make himself more acceptable at the national level.
However, the Opposition has dubbed it as a ploy to garner political gains.
Modi went on a month-long political yatra naming it Swami Vivekananda Yuva Vikas Yatra and has been addressing Vivekananda Youth Convention all over the state and has been quoting from his work on a daily basis on his Twitter account, a strategy which has baffled his detractors.
His opponents have severely criticised him for misusing Swami Vivekananda's name, who during his life had remained away from any political activity though being very famous in the late part of 18th century after he returned from the US.
"Swami Vivekananda, as per the tradition of saints in the country having a secular outlook was the biggest propagator of Hindu religion in modern times," those close to the Ramakrishna Mission established by the saint himself said.