Mahant Balaknath

Mahant Balaknath Yogi (born 16 April 1984), better known as Baba Balaknath, is an Indian politician and current MLA from Tijara constituency in Rajasthan.^[1] He is Chancellor of the Baba Mastnath University (BMU), Rohtak, Haryana.^[2] He is also 8th Mahant of the Nath sect of Hinduism.^[3] On 29 July 2016, Mahant Chandnath declared Balaknath Yogi as his successor in a ceremony which was attended by Yogi Adityanath and Baba Ramdev.^[4][5][6]

Mahant Balaknath
Member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 December 2023
Preceded by	Sandeep Yadav
Constituency	Tijara
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office 23 May 2019 – 7 December 2023
Preceded by	Karan Singh Yadav
Succeeded by	Bhupender Yadav
Constituency	Alwar
Personal details
Born	(1984-04-16) 16 April 1984 (age 41) Kohrana, Rajasthan, India
Political party	Bharatiya Janata Party
Residence(s)	Tijara, Rajasthan, India
Occupation	Politician, monk
Website	yogibalaknath.in
Religious life
Religion	Hinduism
Denomination	Shaivism
Temple	Baba Mastnath Math
Institute	Baba Mastnath University
School	Yoga
Lineage	Baba Mastnath
Sect	Nath Sampradaya
Ordination	2016
Religious career
Guru	Mahant Chandnath
Post	Mahant
Period in office	2016–present
Predecessor	Mahant Chandnath

Early life

He was born in the village of Kohrana in Behror tehsil of Rajasthan, Balaknath Yogi’s roots are deeply embedded in Alwar.^[7] Coming from an agricultural family, he took his first steps into sannyasa at the age of six-and-a-half, prompting him to leave home and seek solace in an ashram.^[8] He was named Gurumukh by Baba Khetanath in his early age.^[9] He used to live in Matsyendra Maharaj Ashram from 1985-1991 (up to age of 6) after that he moved to a Math in village Nathawali Theri in Hanumangarh district with Mahant Chandnath.

Political career

Mahant Balaknath Yogi's political foray was shaped by his Guru, Mahant Chandnath, a former Member of Parliament from Alwar. Following in his mentor's footsteps, Balaknath Yogi succeeded him as the head of the Baba Mastnath Mutt in Haryana. A key influencer in his political journey is also the support of yoga guru Baba Ramdev. As Balaknath Yogi traverses the campaign trail, a dedicated team from Mahendragarh in Haryana accompanies him, underlining the widespread backing he enjoys.^[10]

Balaknath, emerging as a controversial figure in political circles, has gained attention for his provocative statements and unorthodox comparisons. In a widely circulated video, he drew a parallel between his political contest against Imran Khan and an India-Pakistan cricket match. Asserting that the battle extends beyond mere victory, Balaknath emphasised the significance of securing a favourable voting percentage. He expressed concerns about minority communities uniting against the Sanatan Dharma and highlighted the need to thwart such plans through electoral success.^[11]

He was nominated as Bharatiya Janata Party candidate for Lok Sabha from Alwar, Rajasthan and he won the elections in 2019 by defeating Bhanwar Jitendra Singh of Indian National Congress by a margin of 3 Lakh votes.^[12]

He resigned from the post of Lok Sabha MP on 7 December 2023 after winning from the Tijara constituency in the 2023 Rajasthan Assembly Elections.^[13]

See also

• Mahant Shreyonath sixth Mahant of the Nath sect.
• Mahant Chandnath seventh Mahant of the Nath sect.