Avinash Pandey


Avinash Pandey is an Indian politician belonging to the Indian National Congress party. He has been a Youth Congress leader and had held post of General Secretary in the Indian Youth Congress, when Shri Maninder Singh Bitta was the President. He has been a Member of the Legislative Council, Maharashtra and was appointed Chairman, Maharashtra State Small Scale Industries Development Corporation.
He unsuccessfully fought the Rajya Sabha elections from Maharashtra in 2008, against industrialist Rahul Bajaj. He is Congress party All India Congress Committee General Secretary and a Congress working Committee member. Last time he was defeated by Rahul Bajaj by one vote for Rajya Sabha.
He was again nominated to contest June 2010 Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra. He won the election unopposed.

Positions held

1985-89 :Member, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
1986 :Member, Maharashtra State Mathadi Board Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Industry
1986-87 :Chairman, Public Undertakings Committee, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
1987 :Member, Accommodation Committee, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Chairman, Minimum Wages Committee for Bidi Workers Member, India's 40th year of Independence Celebration Committee
1987-88 :Member, Maithilisharan Gupt Centenary Committee
1988 :Member, Nagpur University Senate, Member, Jawaharlal Nehru Centenary Celebration Committee
2006-10 :Chairman, Maharashtra Small Scale Industries Development Corporation Ltd.
Jul-2010:Elected to Rajya Sabha July 2010 onwards Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Coal Permanent Special Invitee, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Human Resource Development Aug. 2010 onwards Member, Committee on Urban Development Sept. 2010 onwards Member, Committee on Petitions Member, Hindi Salahkar Samiti for the Ministry of Panchayati Raj Member, Governing Council of the National Mission of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Member, Development Council for Sugar Industries

Books published

In Hindi: Compiled and coordinated: Shabd Swar Ke Sumeru, 1995 and Ek Deep Kavi Pradeep, 2007

Other positions

Elected General Secretary, Nagpur University Students Council, 1977–78; President, Maharashtra N.S.U.I., 1983-1987, and Maharashtra Youth Congress, 1988-1989; Vice-President, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, 2002-2005; General Secretary, Indian Youth Congress, 1993–97 and Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, 1998-2002; Secretary, All India Congress Committee since 2009; Chief Convener, Historic National Convention of NSUI at Nagpur, 1984; Member, Training Department A.I.C.C., 2007