Ramdev's new chant: Will float party soon

NEW DELHI: After power yoga, Baba Ramdev is now mulling a role in politics. As yet, he is not keen on contesting elections. But, he plans to launch his own political party in the next three years.

The Hardwar-based yoga master, who has a following of millions, told Times Now that after cleaning body and mind, he wanted to cleanse the body politic. He wants to bring back to India what he estimates as Rs 300 lakh crore of black money stashed overseas. And he's thinking big — he wants to field candidates in all 545 Lok Sabha constituencies in 2014.

"There is illiteracy, poverty; many people go to bed on empty stomachs. More than 40 million people do not get food and neither do they have any means... With so many challenges before us, how can we ask what is lacking in today's politics. There are a lot of gaps to be filled, there is need for change and that is why we have launched Bharat Swabhiman," he told Times Now.

Baba Ramdev has launched a Bharat Swabhiman campaign that aims to end corrupt practices. He also wants to change the system that has been continuing since the British period.

"I have put my manifesto before you and the people who agree with this are in every party. All such people who agree with this ideology are my supporters," he said.

"No doubt Manmohan Singh is a good economist and he understands perfectly the growth rate, but he does not understand the economics of dal-roti," he said.

He said the common man eats bread and not growth rate, which has no role in the life of those who live below poverty line. He pressed for reforms in the administrative system of the country.