Bhupesh Baghel


Bhupesh Baghel is an Indian politician serving as the third and current Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. He was president of Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress. He has been member of legislative assembly five times from Patan. He had been cabinet minister in undivided Madhya Pradesh in Digvijaya Singh government in late nineties. He was first Minister for Revenue, Public Health Engineering and Relief Work of Chhattisgarh.

Background

Bhupesh Baghel was born on 23 August 1961 in Durg district. He is the son of Nand Kumar Baghel and Bindeshwari Baghel. His family's primary occupation is agriculture.

Political career

Beginning and rise

Bhupesh Baghel started his political career from Indian Youth Congress and became member of All India Congress Committee, he was also the General Secretary, and Program Coordinator of Pradesh Congress Committee. He was elected to Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 1993 for the first time from Patan, and was later elected five times from same seat.
Baghel was appointed as Minister of State, Chief Minister related, Public Grievances Redressal, M.P. Governance in Digvijay Singh’s cabinet in December 1998 and became Minister of Transport in December 1999.
After the state of Chhattisgarh was formed in November 2000, he became member of Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly, and appointed as Minister, Revenue Rehabilitation, Relief Work, Public Health Mechanics under CG Governance. He again became MLA in 2003 state election from same seat. He lost the Patan assembly seat in 2008 elections. He also lost Parliamentary elections in 2009 from Raipur.
He again won Patan Vidhan Sabha seat in 2013 election, and became Member of Working Committee, Chhattisgarh Assembly. In 2014-15, he became Member of Public Accounts Committee, CG Government.

President of Chhattisgarh Congress

He was President of state unit of Indian National Congress from October 2014 to June 2019. After the state's top Congress leaders like Mahendra Karma, Vidya Charan Shukla, Nand Kumar Patel and 28 others were killed in the 2013 Naxal attack in Darbha valley, Baghel played a very important role in reviving the party in the state. He managed to sideline ex-Chief Minister Ajit Jogi and his son Amit Jogi in state congress after Antagarh Assembly by-election audio tape row.
Under his presidency Chhattisgarh Congress won the 2018 Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly election by a thumping majority. He himself became MLA from Patan assembly seat again and became Chief Minister of the state. He took oath as chief minister on 17 December 2018. He was replaced by Kondagaon MLA Mohan Markam as PCC President in June 2019.

Chief Minister of the Chhattisgarh

Baghel fulfilled two major poll promises farm loan waiver and raising paddy support price by 50% in relatively quicker way, the order letter was released dramatically, within hours of oath taking ceremony, though actual money transfer to farmers took days, weeks and months in some cases. Tendu patta collection prices were increased. Government took a major step away from shiksha-karmi policy and vacancy for posts of 15,000 permanent teachers was announced.
Naxal attack in April 2019, which claimed five lives including one opposition MLA Bhima Mandavi, shocked the government.

Personal life

He is married to Mukteshwari Baghel. They have one son and three daughters.