‘Godliness is bigger than politics’
Bhaiyyu Maharaj aka Udaysingh Deshmukh
In April 2018, when the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh offered him a ministerial berth, Bhaiyyu Maharaj turned it down, saying, “A post holds no importance for a saint.”
Originally from Maharashtra, Bhaiyyu Maharaj was based in Indore. Among his following were chief ministers and senior bureaucrats, who sought his counsel during political crises.
In September 2011, prime minister Narendra Modi invited the ‘godman’ to break his “sadbhavna fast” as chief minister of Gujarat. Those who have visited his ashram at Bapat Square in Indore include Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat, former president Pratibha Patil, legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, former Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Uddhav Thackeray, chief of the then undivided Shiv Sena, and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Raj Thackeray.
Bhaiyyu Maharaj hit the headlines in 2002, when a number of Nationalist Congress Party MLAs were flown to Indore to prevent them from being poached by a rival party in the state assembly. In 2005, he was accused by a woman who claimed that Bhaiyyu Maharaj was her son’s biological father, a charge he denied but involved a legal battle.
Bhaiyyu Maharaj once escaped an alleged attack on his car near Pune in 2016. He died by suicide two years later following threats by a close aide, Palak Pauranik, who claimed she would accuse him of rape if he didn’t marry her. Later, Pauranik and two others were sentenced to six years in jail for abetment to suicide and extortion.
‘Mahayuti win due to saints and sadhus’
Narendra Maharaj from Nanij
Narendra Maharaj from Nanij in Ratnagiri district, known as “Shri Swami Narendracharyaji Maharaj” among devotees, has a huge following in the Konkan in Maharashtra. He founded the Jagadguru Narendracharya Maharaj Sansthan in 1994.
His political following includes Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, Union ministers Narayan Rane and Nitin Gadkari, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, local leaders from the Konkan such as state industries minister Uday Samant, Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Bhaskar Jadhav, among others.
He started to build a following in 1989, when he launched a prohibition drive among the youth in Nanij. He resigned as a gram sevak after being accused of corruption in 1992 and founded the Jagadguru Narendracharya Maharaj Sansthan in April 1994.
Like many other self-styled godmen, Narendra Maharaj uses philanthropy for image-building and build trust among the people. His social service activities include a free ambulance service and educational services including a English-medium school.
“Maharaj has followers in almost all the political parties. Union minister Nitin Gadkari attended Ram Navami utsav at the Nanij math in April a couple of years ago. He wields so much influence over the people that no local politician can distance themselves from the Swamiji,” said a close aide said.
In recent years, Narendra Maharaj appears to have faded from the spotlight, his once high-profile interactions with political leaders largely fading from public view. Then, in 2025, he made an audacious claim, a clever ploy to reclaim public attention.
In October 2016, social activist Mukta Dabholkar, who runs the Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti, along with her brother Hamid, slammed then chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for attending the birthday celebration of Narendra Maharaj. Dabholkar said, “Narendra Maharaj was held guilty in a departmental inquiry for corruption and was terminated from government service years ago. Criminal cases have been registered against his followers for threatening anti-superstition activists.”
After the Mahayuti’s assembly win in 2024, Narendra Maharaj attributed the BJP win to “saints and sadhus”. “In his dreams,” remarked Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar, whose statement, predictably, drew protests from the godman’s devotees.
Walking in his father’s shoes
Dr Appasaheb Dharmadhikari
Styled as a spiritual preacher, Dattatreya Narayan, alias Dr Appasaheb Dharmadhikari, has a strong following among the people and across political parties. Leaders seen with him include chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, NCP MP Sunil Tatkare, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule and many others.
Dharamadhikari, seen as a spiritual leader, not a ‘godman’, is the son of spiritual leader Nanasaheb Dharmadhikari from Revdanda in Raigad district. He oversees the Shree Samarth Aadhyatmik Prasadik Seva Samitee and runs the Nanasaheb Dharmadhikari Pratishthan.
The family’s political standing can be gauged by the awards conferred on them by the Maharashtra government. Both father and son have been awarded the Maharashtra Bhushan – the state government’s highest civilian award – the first by the Congress-NCP government in 2008 and the second by the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti government in 2023.
Leaders of almost all political parties seek the Dharmadhikari family’s blessings. Eknath Shinde calls himself and his family “followers” of Dharmadhikari. At the award ceremony, Shinde said: “The political establishment needs the support and inspiration of the spiritual establishment, and this is evident at this function.”
Controversy broke out after a stampede at the at the award ceremony in Navi Mumbai, where 14 followers died due to heat stroke and 50 people were injured. The government ordered a probe under then additional chief secretary, revenue department, Nitin Kareer. The report has not been made public.