New Delhi, October 19: Swami Paripoornananda, a seer from Sree Peetham in Andhra Pradesh, on Friday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of its President Amit Shah.

"I am thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. I have become a member of this family without any expectations. I will work for the country and for my religion. Now, I am a worker of BJP and will work like a karmayogi," he said after joing the party.

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Welcoming Swami Paripoornananda, Shah said the development will boost the BJP's prospects in the southern states. especially Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections 2018: Ajit Jogi Will Not Contest Polls, Says Son Amit Jogi.

"Our chances of wining in Telangana has increased. He will campaign for the party in Telangana," he said.

In July, Swami Paripoornananda was externed from Hyderabad for six months for allegedly making provocative statements against other communities. The Hyderabad High Court suspended the ban in August.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 19, 2018 07:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).