Who is Baba Balaknath, the potential CM candidate known as 'Rajasthan's Yogi'

Baba Balak Nath, hailing from Alwar holds popularity as the head of the Baba Mastnath Math in Rohtak.

The Bharatiya Janata Party ousted the Congress from power in Rajasthan, winning 115 out of 199 seats that had gone to polls in the desert state. After the saffron win, now the BJP has expedited its efforts to pick the new chief minister.

The BJP had contested the election without naming a chief ministerial face. Several names have been doing the rounds for the top job. Amid endless buzz in the political circles about the next CM, Alwar MP Baba Balaknath has gained a lot of attention leading many to speculate that he could be picked by the high command to lead the state.

Who is Baba Balak Nath?

BJP's candidate from Tijara Baba Balak Nath casts his vote during the assembly elections held in Rajasthan on Nov 25. (ANI File Photo)

Baba Balak Nath, the Lok Sabha MP from Alwar is the head of the Baba Mastnath Math in Rohtak. He was BJP's candidate for assembly elections from the Tijara assembly constituency. Known as ‘Rajasthan ka Yogi’ Balaknath is the eighth ‘mahant’ (chief priest in a monastery) of Baba Mast Nath Math.

He won from his constituency by a significant margin of 6,173 votes defeating the Congress candidate Imran Khan. Balaknath's parents Subhash Yadav and Urmila Devi were devout followers of Baba Mast Nath Dera who vowed to dedicate their first child to his service. In 2016, Balaknath was declared as the successor of the religious guru Baba Mast Nath Dera and the head of the Math.

Commenting over his and the saffron party's victory in the assembly polls Balaknath had said, “It is all because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guidance. The BJP got all the votes in his name.” Speaking about Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath earlier Balaknath said that the former was like a ‘big brother’ to him.

(With inputs from agencies)