On Saturday (9th December), Rajasthan BJP leader Yogi Balaknath shared a post from his X handle to put a stop to the speculations in the media about him becoming the new Chief Minister of the state. Yogi Balaknath said that he needs to gain experience under the guidance of Narendra Modi.
Yogi Balaknath posted, “Under the leadership of the party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, I got the opportunity from the people to serve the nation by becoming an MP first and now an MLA. Ignore the discussions going on in the media and social media after the election results came out. I am yet to gain experience under the guidance of the Prime Minister.”
पार्टी व प्रधानमंत्री @narendramodi जी के नेतृत्व में जनता-जनार्धन ने पहली बार सांसद व विधायक बना कर राष्ट्रसेवा का अवसर दिया।चुनाव परिणाम आने के बाद से मीडिया व सोशल मीडिया पर चल रही चर्चाओं को नज़र अंदाज़ करें।मुझे अभी प्रधानमंत्री जी के मार्गदर्शन में अनुभव प्राप्त करना है।
— Yogi Balaknath (@MahantBalaknath) December 9, 2023
Notably, on 6th December, a purported press release attributed to BJP claimed that the party had selected Mahanth Balaknath Yogi as the next Chief Minister and appointed two Deputy Chief Ministers to assist the CM.
It also stated that Senior BJP leader and MLA from Sawai Madhopur, Kirodi Lal Meena, and MLA from Rajsamand Diya Kumari, will be the two Deputy Chief Ministers. However, the Bhartiya Janata Party’s state unit took to X (formerly Twitter) and alerted that the press release claimed to be theirs was Fake.
Fake Alert ! pic.twitter.com/GABYXWHveO
— BJP Rajasthan (@BJP4Rajasthan) December 6, 2023
The statement of Mahant Balaknath, one of the speculated contenders for the post of CM, before the BJP Legislature Party meeting to be held in Rajasthan tomorrow, has intensified the political intrigue in the state. Political analysts are offering varied interpretations of Balaknath’s post. Some argue that the Yogi might be signalling his withdrawal from the race for the Chief Ministerial position, while others contend that the definitive decision on the CM candidate will only emerge after the legislative party meeting.
On Friday, Yogi Balaknath held discussions with senior leaders in Delhi, and it is speculated that he may have received indications suggesting that his chances of becoming the Chief Minister are slim. This could potentially explain the nature of the X post by the chief priest of the Rohtak Shrine of the Nath sect.
Names discussed in the Chief Ministerial race include Union Ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Om Mathur, Diya Kumari, Kirori Lal Meena, and former CM Vasundhara Raje. The legislative party is scheduled to convene in Jaipur on December 10, and a comprehensive understanding of the situation is anticipated only after the conclusion of this meeting.
Mahant Balaknath
Mahant Balaknath, a spiritual leader and Alwar MP, defeated Congress candidate Imran Khan in the Tijara assembly constituency by a margin of 6,173 votes. he belongs to the Yaduvanshi community and is Chancellor of the Baba Mastnath University (BMU). His political career was shaped by his Guru, Mahant Chandnath, a former Member of Parliament from Alwar.
Balaknath Yogi is one of the most influential leaders in the state of Rajasthan. He is known for supporting Hindutva and belongs to the Nath sect. He was nominated as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Lok Sabha candidate from Alwar, Rajasthan, and he won in 2019 by a margin of 3 lakh votes over Indian National Congress candidate Bhanwar Jitendra Singh. BJP won 115 seats in the Rajasthan assembly elections of 2023 and secured a clear majority.
