Mahesh Yogi disciple hopes to transcend BJP rift

His qualifications and experience in India and abroad will be of great value to Jharkhand in the Rajya Sabha,says Anshuman Mishra.

At the age of 16,I went to Holland with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,and have never looked back since. I mobilised opinion in favour of India after it carried out nuclear tests,as a result of which its relationship with the US deteriorated, says Mishra.

As proof,he displays pictures showing him with former President Bill Clinton and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Mishra,the son of a retired physician based in London,says he studied economics and law at the University of San Diego,California,and worked in Mumbai,Los Angeles,San Diego,Chicago,New York,Washington DC and London.

Among his employers was UKs Investec Bank,he says.

The man whose candidature as an Independent for the March 30 Rajya Sabha election has been backed by the BJP,seems rattled that he has hit a wall of opposition from senior leaders including L K Advani,Sushma Swaraj and Yashwant Sinha.

Advaniji is like father, he says. I am ready to withdraw from the fray if he so desires.