Bhagat Singh Koshyari

Bhagat Singh Koshyari (born 17 June 1942) is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from Uttarakhand serving as the Governor of Maharashtra.[1] An RSS veteran, Koshyari served as National Vice President of BJP and party's 1st State president for Uttarakhand. He also served as 2nd Chief Minister of Uttarakhand (formerly Uttaranchal) from 2001 to 2002 and thereafter, he was the leader of the opposition in the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly from 2002 to 2003. He has also served as an MLC in Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council (when Uttarakhand was part of undivided Uttar Pradesh) and MLA in Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly. Later Served as an MP in Rajya Sabha from 2008 to 2014 from Uttarakhand and then the MP in the 16th Lok Sabha from Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar constituency, earning him the distinction of being elected in both houses of State Legislature and both houses of National Parliament respectively.

Bhagat Singh Koshyari
Governor of Maharashtra Bhagat Singh Koshyari
22nd Governor of Maharashtra
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 September 2019
Preceded by	C. Vidyasagar Rao
2nd Chief Minister of Uttarakhand
In office 30 October 2001 – 1 March 2002
Preceded by	Nityanand Swami
Succeeded by	N. D. Tiwari
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
In office 26 November 2008 – 16 May 2014
Preceded by	Harish Rawat
Succeeded by	Manorama Dobriyal Sharma
Constituency	Uttarakhand
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office 16 May 2014 – 23 May 2019
Preceded by	K. C. Singh Baba
Succeeded by	Ajay Bhatt
Constituency	Nainital–Udhamsingh Nagar
Personal details
Born	(1942-06-17) 17 June 1942 Palandhura Chetabgarh, Bageshwar, United Provinces, British India (present-day Uttarakhand, India)
Political party	Bharatiya Janata Party
Parents	Gopal Singh Koshyari (father) Motima Devi (mother)
Residence	Raj Bhavan, Mumbai
Education	Master of Arts
Alma mater	Agra University
Occupation	Teacher, Author, Journalist

Personal and professional life

Bhagat Singh Koshyari was born on 17 June 1942 to Gopal Singh Koshyari and Motima Devi at Palanadhura Chetabgarh, Bageshwar District, Uttarakhand.[2]

Koshyari holds a master's degree in English and studied at Almora College, Almora (then affiliated with Agra University, now S.S.J. Campus Almora of Kumaon University). During this period, Koshyari was also a general secretary of the students' union of Almora College, Almora, between 1961-62. He has also represented the Executive Council of Kumaon University, during 1979-82, 1982–85 and 1988-91.[2]

He has had a successful career as a teacher and journalist. He had worked as a lecturer at Raja Inter College, Raja Ka Rampur, Etah district, Uttar Pradesh for few years. Koshyari is a founder and managing editor of Parvat Piyush, a weekly published from Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand since 1975. He has also published two books, Uttaranchal Pradesh Kyun? and Uttaranchal Sangharsh Evam Samadhan.[2]

Like most senior RSS members, Koshyari is unmarried.

Political career

He joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He took part in the struggle against the Emergency and was imprisoned he was detained in Almora and Fatehgarh Central Jail under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA), from 3 July 1975 to 23 March 1977.[2]

In May 1997 he became a member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council, the upper house of legislature of Uttar Pradesh. In 2000, he was appointed minister of Energy, Irrigation, Law, and Legislative Affairs of the newly created state of Uttaranchal. In 2001 he replaced Nityanand Swami as the chief minister of Uttarakhand.[3] He has also served as the President of the BJP of his state. As a result of his party's defeat in the 2002 Assembly elections, he resigned in March 2002 as the chief minister. However, he was elected from Kapkot assembly constituency,[4][5] and became the leader of the opposition of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly, till 2007.

In the 2007 Assembly elections in Uttarakhand, he was elected again from Kapkot assembly constituency.[5][6] However, despite the BJP's victory, Koshyari was deprived of the Chief Minister's post by his chief rival, Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri. Media reports have cited that the BJP's central leadership was biased for Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri, despite Koshyari supported by RSS and majority of the elected MLAs. In November 2008 he was elected a member of the Rajya Sabha from Uttarakhand and remained a member till his election to the Lok Sabha in 2014.[7] He has been appointed a national vice president of BJP and also BJP chief in Uttarakhand .[8]

In the 2014 Indian general election, he was elected to the 16th Lok Sabha from Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar, Lok Sabha constituency.[9]

Social activities

He founded various schools in Uttarakhand[10] (Saraswati Shishu Mandir, Pithoragarh, Vivekanand Vidya Mandir Inter College, Pithoragarh; and Saraswati Vihar Higher Secondary School, Nainital).

See also

Koshyari ministry

References

1. "Bhagat Singh Koshyari sworn in as new governor of Maharashtra. He is considered as the most corrupt politician of India. He is infamous of murdering the democracy of India by involving in government formation in Maharastra. He was involved for supporting central ruling party in government formation which is completely unconstitutional for a Governor of a state". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
2. "Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari - Members of Parliament (Rajya Sabha)". National Portal of India. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
3. "Former Chief Ministers". Official Website Of the Chief Minister Of Uttarakhand, India. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
4. "1st Vidhan Sabha Members (Hindi)". Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
5. "State Elections 2002, 2007 - Partywise Comparison for 42-Kapkot Constituency of Uttarakhand". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
6. "2nd Vidhan Sabha Members (Hindi)". Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
7. "List of Former Members of Rajya Sabha (Term Wise)". Rajya Sabha website. Retrieved 28 May 2014. no. 482: 26/11/2008 to 25/11/2014
8. "Bhagat Singh Koshyari likely to be next Uttarakhand BJP chief". The Times of India. 22 January 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
9. "GENERAL ELECTION TO LOK SABHA TRENDS & RESULT 2014 -UT". Archived from the original on 27 May 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
10. "Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari Member Of Parliament" (PDF). Retrieved 11 January 2020.

Lok Sabha
Preceded by Karan Chand Singh Baba	Member of Parliament for Nainital–Udhamsingh Nagar 2014 - 2019	Succeeded by Ajay Bhatt
Political offices
Preceded by Nityanand Swami	Chief Minister of Uttarakhand 30 October 2001 – 1 March 2002	Succeeded by N. D. Tiwari
Preceded by C. Vidyasagar Rao	Governor of Maharashtra 5 September 2019 - Present	Incumbent

External links

• Uttarakhand NIC.
• General pips state chief, set to be CM