Alpesh Thakor is a politician from Gujarat, India. He is a member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly from Gandhinagar South. He was earlier a member representing Radhanpur (2017–2019). Formerly associated with the Indian National Congress, he joined Bharatiya Janata Party in 2019. He started his career as a social worker and political activist. He is a leader of the Koli[2] community in Gujarat. He founded the Gujarat Kshatriya Thakor Sena as well as OBC, SC, ST Ekta Manch (OBC, SC, ST unity forum), a social platform to demand reservations for people of the respective communities, around which a movement took place in Gujarat shortly after the Patidar reservation agitation.[3][4][5][6][7] Early career Gujarat Kshatriya Thakor Sena Thakor founded the Kshatriya Thakor Sena in 2011. In 2016, he floated a movement to rid the members of his community from liquor addiction. He has also demanded stricter laws against illegal alcohol trade in Gujarat.[citation needed] The Kshatriya Thakor Sena has around 700,000 members as of October 2017.[8] Rameshji Thakor, the former state vice-president of the Gujarat Kshatriya Thakor Sena, split from Alpesh Thakor to form his own outfit, the Royal Kshatriya Thakor Sena, in 2013 and was elected president of that outfit.[9] OSS Ekta Manch Thakor comes from the Thakor community in Gujarat. He rose to prominence and media attention after he launched a movement to counter the Patidar reservation agitation by Hardik Patel. He founded the OSS (OBC, SC, ST) Ekta Manch to unite all people of these communities for demanding reservation according to population of the particular community. He also said that the hidden motive behind the Patidar agitations is nothing but a gameplan to scrape the reservation system, and that his movement will counter it to 'protect their constitutional right'.[10][11][12] Thakor was arrested in September 2015 along with many others for organizing a meeting of all OBC communities in Mehsana district.[13] Political career On 23 October 2017, Thakor joined the Indian National Congress party.[14][15] He contested and won from Radhanpur constituency in the 2017 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election.[1] He had demanded the justice for a minor rape survivor in October 2018.[16] The rape incident had triggered the attacks on the Hindi-speaking migrants in Gujarat later. On 9 April 2019 he quit the Indian National Congress[17] and joined Bharatiya Janata Party on 18 July 2019.[18] He contested legislative assembly bypoll from Radhanpur in October 2019 and lost by margin of 3500 votes.[19][20] In the 2022 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election, he contested from Gandhinagar South and won by a margin of 43,064 votes. Personal life He married Kiran, a Trivedi Brahmin.[ Alpesh Thakor Member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly Incumbent Assumed office 8 December 2022 Preceded by Shambhuji Thakor Constituency Gandhinagar South In office 18 December 2017 – 24 October 2019 Preceded by Nagarji Thakor Succeeded by Reghubhai Desai Constituency Radhanpur[1] Personal details Born Endala, Gujarat, India Party Bharatiya Janata Party Spouse Kiran Thakor

Mahadev Jagannath Jankar is an Indian politician from Rashtriya Samaj Paksha. He is a former Cabinet Minister in the Government of Maharashtra as Minister for Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Development in the Maha Yuti government. He is the founder and National President of Rashtriya Samaj Paksha, an Indian political party based in Maharashtra, founded in 2003. Early life and education Mr. Jankar was born in a poor peasant and Dhangar (Gaderia) family in a small village at Palsawade Ta.Maan which is in the Satara district. Jankar completed his Degree In Electrical Engineering with first class from Walchand College of Engineering, Sangli.[4] Political career Mr. Jankar started his political career by joining Bahujan Samaj Party in the leadership of Kanshi Ram. Then he became the chief of Yashwant Sena. But Yashwant Sena being a cultural organization had some limits in achieving political ends. In 2003, he founded the political party Rashtriya Samaj Paksha, contested the Madha Lok Sabha seat in 2009 elections, he finished in third place behind the winner, Sharad Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party and Subhash Deshmukh of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He also contested a Lok Sabha seat in 2014 from Baramati where he finished in second place behind the winner, Supriya Sule of the Nationalist Congress Party by a huge margin of 69,719. He was elected as a Member of the Legislative Council on 23 January 2015. He was promoted in July 2016 as Minister for Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Department, Maharashtra State. Mahadev Jankar Member of Legislative Council of Maharashtra[1] In office 30 January 2015 – 27 July 2024 Preceded by Ashish Shelar Succeeded by Yogesh Tilekar Minister for Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Fisheries Development Maharashtra State[2][3] In office 8 July 2016 – 9 November 2019 Preceded by Eknath Khadse Succeeded by Sunil Chhatrapal Kedar Personal details Born 19 April 1968 (age 58) Maan, Maharashtra, India Party Rashtriya Samaj Paksha Education B.Tech. Electrical Engineering (Gold Medalist) Alma mater Walchand College of Engineering Occupation Politician As of January 23, 2015

Kariamangalam Pachiappan Anbalagan (born 30 April 1958) is an Indian politician from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam who was the former Minister for Higher Education and Agriculture department of Tamil Nadu. He belongs to the Vanniyar community, and is presently serving his fifth term as a Member of Legislative Assembly from Palacode, making him the longest serving MLA in the current Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, a record which he holds with fellow party members O. Panneerselvam and Pollachi V. Jayaraman.[1] Career He pursued his career into mainstream politics in 1996 and joined the AIADMK party in the same year. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from Palacode constituency in 2001[2] and 2016.[3] He was appointed the secretary of the Dharmapuri District in 2016 by the then Chief Minister of the state J. Jayalalithaa.[4] He served as the Minister for Higher Education in the Government of Tamil Nadu and he was previously appointed the Minister for Municipal Administration, Rural Development & Information Minister of the state in 2009–2011.[5] On 19 June 2020, while being the Education Minister he himself reportedly confirmed that he tested positive for COVID-19 becoming the second major MLA from Tamil Nadu to be diagnosed with the virus after J. Anbazhagan.[6][7][8] However the chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami denied the reports regarding Anbalagan diagnosed with coronavirus.

K. C. Veeramani (born 27 August 1964) is an Indian politician from Tamil Nadu, who served as several department Tamil nadu Cabinet Minister for Department of Commercial Taxes and Registration (Tamil Nadu), Department of School Education (Tamil Nadu),Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology,Department of Tamil Official Language and Tamil Culture of Tamil Nadu, Minister for Department of Health and Family Welfare (Tamil Nadu). He is the current Member of the Legislative Assembly from Jolarpet assembly constituency in Tirupattur district, Tamil Nadu. He is AIADMK District Secretary for Tirupattur district. He was elected as a representative of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party in 2011[1] and again in the elections of 2016.[2] In 2021, he was defeated by around 1,000 votes. In 2026, he recontested and won from Jolarpet by a margin of 16,000 votes, with the runner-up being the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam candidate.[3] He was the Minister of Commercial Taxes and Registration Departments of Tamil Nadu.[4] He is a former Minister For School Education[5] and earlier served as the Health and Welfare minister for Tamil Nadu in 2011–16.

Kariamangalam Pachiappan Anbalagan (born 30 April 1958) is an Indian politician from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam who was the former Minister for Higher Education and Agriculture department of Tamil Nadu. He belongs to the Vanniyar community, and is presently serving his fifth term as a Member of Legislative Assembly from Palacode, making him the longest serving MLA in the current Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, a record which he holds with fellow party members O. Panneerselvam and Pollachi V. Jayaraman.[1] Career He pursued his career into mainstream politics in 1996 and joined the AIADMK party in the same year. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from Palacode constituency in 2001[2] and 2016.[3] He was appointed the secretary of the Dharmapuri District in 2016 by the then Chief Minister of the state J. Jayalalithaa.[4] He served as the Minister for Higher Education in the Government of Tamil Nadu and he was previously appointed the Minister for Municipal Administration, Rural Development & Information Minister of the state in 2009–2011.[5] On 19 June 2020, while being the Education Minister he himself reportedly confirmed that he tested positive for COVID-19 becoming the second major MLA from Tamil Nadu to be diagnosed with the virus after J. Anbazhagan.[6][7][8] However the chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami denied the reports regarding Anbalagan diagnosed with coronavirus

Leader of the Opposition, Odisha Legislative Assembly Naveen Patnaik (Odia: [n̪ɔbin̪ pɔʈn̪ajk]; born 16 October 1946) is an Indian politician and writer, who is currently Leader of Opposition in Odisha Legislative Assembly. He served as the 14th Chief Minister of Odisha from 5 March 2000 to 12 June 2024. He also served as Union Minister in Vajpeyi Government. He is the founding chairperson of the Biju Janata Dal, serving since 1997, and has represented the Hinjili Assembly constituency since 2000.[2] He also served as the Union Minister of Steel and Mines from 1998 to 2000 and as a member of the Lok Sabha from Aska from 1997 to 2000. Early life Patnaik was born on 16 October 1946 in an aristocratic Karan family to Biju Patnaik, former Chief Minister of Odisha, and his wife, Gyan Devi.[3][4][5] He was educated at the Welham Boys' School in Dehradun, The Lawrence School, Sanawar and later The Doon School.[6] At Doon, he was a classmate of Sanjay Gandhi and three years junior to Rajiv Gandhi, who later became prime minister of India.[7] After school, he went to the Kirori Mal College[8] of Delhi University, and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree.[9] Political career Naveen Patnaik at the Opening Ceremony Hockey World Cup 2018 After the death of his father Biju Patnaik, leader of the Janata Dal,[9] he was elected as a member to the 11th Lok Sabha in the by-election from Aska Parliamentary Constituency in Odisha, India.[9] He was a member of the Consultative Committee of Ministry of Steel & Mines, Member of Standing Committee on Commerce, and Member Library Committee of Parliament. In December 1997, Naveen split from the Janata Dal and founded the Biju Janata Dal, named after Biju Patnaik.[10] The new party went into alliance with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance for 1998 election. The alliance performed well winning 16 out of 21 seats and Naveen Patnaik was selected as the Union Minister for Mines in the cabinet of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Chief Minister of Odisha Sevayats of Lingaraj Temple inviting Naveen Patnaik for the Bhumipujan of Ekamra Prakalpa. In the 2000 Assembly election, BJD won the majority of seats in alliance with the BJP in the Odisha Assembly elections, Patnaik resigned from the Union cabinet and was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Odisha. He took office on the 84th birth anniversary of his father. BJP led NDA lost the general elections in 2004, however, the coalition led by Naveen Patnaik emerged victorious in the state legislative elections and he continued as the Chief Minister. During this tenure, the friction between the ruling partners was getting more and more apparent, especially after the killing of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati[11] in the Kandhamal district of Odisha in 2007–2008 and also the active participation of Bajrang Dal in the riots that hit Kandhamal region. In the run-up to the polls for the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly of Odisha elections in 2009, BJD walked out of the NDA after severing ties with the BJP and joined the nascent Third Front constituted mainly by the Left Front and few regional parties.[12] He did it after severely criticizing BJP's involvement in Kandhamal anti-Christian riots during 2008. The BJD won a resounding victory in both the Vidhan Sabha (State Assembly) as well as the Lok Sabha elections in 2009, winning 14 out of 21 Lok Sabha seats and 103 of the 147 assembly seats and was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Odisha on 21 May 2009 for the third consecutive term.[13] Patnaik won a huge victory in both the 2014 Indian general elections and the Legislative Assembly of Odisha elections in 2014. Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal secured 20 out of the 21 Lok Sabha seats of Odisha and 117 of the 147 Odisha Vidhan Sabha seats.[14] In spite of a strong BJP wave across the country, the Biju Janata Dal, under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik won as many as 112 seats out of 146 (polls for 1 was deferred) in the Legislative Assembly of Odisha and 12 out of 21 Lok Sabha seats in 2019 Indian general elections. His 24-year tenure is the second longest for a chief minister of any Indian state, after Pawan Kumar Chamling of Sikkim. Odisha Leader of Opposition The Biju Janata Dal was voted out of power in the 2024 Odisha Legislative Assembly election as the party managed to win 51 seats in Legislative Assembly of Odisha, thus ending Patnaik's 24-year rule in Odisha. Patnaik was himself defeated in Kantabanji constituency by 16,344 votes, marking his first electoral defeat. However, he did win the Hinjili seat with a margin of below 5000 .In Lok Sabha elections, the BJD, for the first time, failed to win any of the seats it contested.[15][16] Ministerial Positions # Government Designation Portfolio Tenure Constituency Party Government of India 1 Vajpayee II Cabinet Minister Ministry of Steel & Ministry of Mines & Minerals 19 March 1998 13 October 1999 Aska BJD 2 Vajpayee III Cabinet Minister Ministry of Mines & Minerals 13 October 1999 4 March 2000 Government of Odisha 3 Naveen I Chief Minister Chief Minister Office 5 March 2000 15 May 2004 Hinjili BJD 4 Naveen II Chief Minister Chief Minister Office 16 May 2004 21 May 2009 5 Naveen III Chief Minister Chief Minister Office 22 May 2009 20 May 2014 6 Naveen IV Chief Minister Chief Minister Office 21 May 2014 28 May 2019 7 Naveen V Chief Minister Chief Minister Office 29 May 2019 11 June 2024 8 Leader of Opposition, Odisha Legislative Assembly 19 June 2024 Incumbent Electoral history Lok Sabha Naveen Patnaik with BJD workers at his residence in 2024. Year Constituency Party Votes % Opponent Opponent Party Opponent Votes % Result Margin % 1999 Aska BJD 359,178 74.90 Duti Krushna Panda CPI 102,442 21.36 Won 256,736 53.54 1998 310,751 53.88 Chandra Sekhar Sahu INC 224,540 38.93 Won 86,211 14.95 Naveen Patnaik at the Maa Samaleswari Temple, after inaugurating the Samaleswari Area Management and Local Economic Initiatives (SAMALEI) project in 2024. Odisha Legislative Assembly Year Constituency Party Votes % Opponent Opponent Party Opponent Votes % Result Margin % 2024 Kantabanji BJD 74,532 36.56 Laxman Bag BJP 90,876 44.57 Lost -16,344 -8.01 Hinjili 66,459 46.85 Sisir Mishra 61,823 43.59 Won 4,636 3.26 2019 Bijepur 110,604 59.78 Sanat Kumar Gartia 53,482 28.91 Won 57,122 30.87 Hinjili 94,065 66.32 Pitambar Acharya 33,905 23.91 Won 60,160 42.41 2014 89,267 73.14 Sibaram Patra INC 12,681 10.39 Won 76,586 62.75 2009 72,942 76.04 Raghaba Parida 11,669 12.17 Won 61,273 63.87 2004 62,968 72.71 Udayanath Nayak 20,326 23.47 Won 42,642 49.24 2000 56,243 65.35 29,826 34.65 Won 26,417 30.7 Criticisms Patnaik spent most of his early days away from Odisha, so he had problems with writing and speaking fluently in the Odia language.[17] He was the only chief minister of India who did not speak fluently the regional language of his state, and because of this, he faced severe criticism from his opponents. During his tenure, Patnaik had an adequate working knowledge of Odia, and he possessed great mastery over Hindi, French, Punjabi, and English. At rallies, he delivered Odia speeches written in the Roman alphabet.[18] Personal life Patnaik is a writer and had spent most of his youth away from both politics and Odisha. However, after his father Biju Patnaik’s demise, he entered politics in 1997 and founded the Biju Janata Dal, named after his father. His mild manner and policies made his party hugely popular in the state.[19][20] He is also one of the founding members of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage.[21] His elder sister was the writer Gita Mehta, who died in 2023.[22] Accolades Awards Naveen Patnaik receiving Outlook Speakout Award for Best Administrator from former President of India Pranab Mukherjee in the presence of Arun Jaitley. Year Award Conferrer Event/Location 2013 United Nations Citation Award United Nations Odisha State Secretariat 2017 Best Administrator in India Pranab Mukherjee Outlook India Speakout Awards 2018 Ideal Chief Minister Award Pratibha Patil 8th Indian Students' Parliament 2018 FIH President's Award International Hockey Federation 46th FIH Congress 2020 CSI E-Ratna Award Computer Society of India 53rd CSI Annual Convention 2020 Hero to Animals Award PETA Odisha, India 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award N. V. Ramana Capital Foundation National Awards Recognitions Year Recognition Organisation Category Ref. 2018 Most Popular Chief Minister in India India Today India Today – Mood of the Nation [23] 2020 Indo-Asian News Service IANS–C Voter State of the Nation [24] 2021 India Today India Today – Mood of the Nation [25] 2021 Best Chief Minister in India ABP News ABP News–C Voter #DeshKaMood [26] 2022 Most Popular Chief Minister in India India Today India Today – Mood of the Nation [27] 2023 [28] 2024 [29] 2024 Most Popular Chief Minister in India NDTV National Popularity Survey [30] 2024 Best Chief Minister in India ABP News ABP News–C Voter #DeshKaMood [31] Other recognitions • In 2013, the United Nations felicitated Naveen by presenting a citation for his government's handling of Cyclone Phailin, which hit Odisha in October 2013. The body also announced that the state's efforts would be highlighted as a model for disaster management programs globally. Naveen was also invited by the international body to attend the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) in 2015, which was held in Sendai, Japan, from 14 to 18 March 2015.[32] • In 2019, the United Nations complimented Naveen for his government's proposal to reserve 33% of seats for women in the National Parliament as well as in the state's Legislative Assembly.[33] Writings • A Second Paradise: Indian Courtly Life, 1590-1947 – Published in India, England and US[34] • A Desert Kingdom: The People of Bikaner – Published in India, England and US[35] • The Garden of Life: An Introduction to the Healing Plants of India – Published in India, England and US[36] See also • List of chief ministers of Odisha • List of longest-serving Indian chief ministers • List of prime ministers of India • List of presidents of India Political offices Preceded by Hemananda Biswal (INC) Chief Minister of Odisha (5 March 2000 – 12 June 2024) Succeeded by Mohan Charan Majhi (BJP) Political offices Preceded by Jayanarayan Mishra (BJP) Leader of the Opposition, Odisha Legislative Assembly (Since 19 June 2024) Succeeded by Incumbent Party political offices Preceded by Office Established President Biju Janata Dal (Since 1997) Succeeded by Incumbent State Legislative Assembly Preceded by Udayanath Nayak (INC) Member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly from Hinjili Assembly constituency (Since 2000) Succeeded by Incumbent Lok Sabha Preceded by Biju Patnaik (JD) Member of Parliament from Aska (1998-2000) Succeeded by Kumudini Patnaik (BJD) Leader of the Opposition, Odisha Legislative Assembly Incumbent Assumed office 20 June 2024[1] Governor Raghubar Das Kambhampati Hari Babu Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Preceded by Jayanarayan Mishra 14th Chief Minister of Odisha In office 5 March 2000 – 12 June 2024 Governor M. M. Rajendran Rameshwar Thakur Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare S. C. Jamir Satya Pal Malik Ganeshi Lal Raghubar Das Cabinet Patnaik I Patnaik II Patnaik III Patnaik IV Patnaik V Preceded by Hemananda Biswal Succeeded by Mohan Charan Majhi Member of Odisha Legislative Assembly Incumbent Assumed office 5 March 2000 Preceded by Udayanath Nayak Constituency Hinjili Union Minister of Mines and Minerals In office 13 October 1999 – 4 March 2000 Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee Preceded by Office established Succeeded by Atal Bihari Vajpayee Union Minister of Steel and Mines In office 19 March 1998 – 13 October 1999 Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee Preceded by Birendra Prasad Baishya Succeeded by Dilip Ray Chairperson of Biju Janata Dal Incumbent Assumed office 26 December 1997 Preceded by position established Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha In office 12 April 1997 – 4 March 2000 Preceded by Biju Patnaik Succeeded by Kumudini Patnaik Constituency Aska Personal details Born 16 October 1946 (age 79) Cuttack, Orissa Province, British India (now Odisha, India) Party Biju Janata Dal (since 1997) Other political affiliations Janata Dal (until 1997) Parents • Biju Patnaik (father) • Gyan Patnaik (mother) Relatives Prem Patnaik (brother) Gita Mehta (sister) Sonny Mehta (brother-in-law) Alma mater The Lawrence School, Sanawar The Doon School, Dehradun Kirori Mal College, Delhi (BA) Profession • Politician • writer Website naveenpatnaik.in

Keshav Prasad Maurya (born 7 May 1969) is an Indian politician, currently serving as the 5th Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh under Yogi Adityanath (along with Dinesh Sharma in 2017–22 with Brajesh Pathak from 2022). He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Maurya was associated with a right-wing Hindu organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, before entering active politics through BJP. He was also involved in cow protectionism in his early life. Before the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections, he was made state president of the BJP, and after the victory of BJP, he was appointed Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in the first Yogi Adityanath Government.[1][2][3] Maurya again contested the legislative assembly elections in 2022 from Sirathu Assembly constituency, losing to Pallavi Patel of Samajwadi Party. However, he was given a second term as Deputy CM in the second Yogi Adityanath government. Life On 8 April 2016, on the first day of Chaitra, he was appointed the BJP chief of Uttar Pradesh.[4][5] A member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, he also participated in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. He belongs to Kushwaha community, which is spread across the state of Uttar Pradesh and is known by different names in different regions of state.[4] Born in 1969, in Sirathu in Kausambhi district, adjoining Prayagraj, Maurya went on to study Hindi Literature at the Hindu Sahitya Sammelan in Prayagraj.[6] Besides being a politician, Maurya is also the owner of several institutions, which includes, a hospital, a petrol pump, an agro trading company and Kamdhenu Logistics. His assets are spread across Allahabad.[7] Political career Maurya has been associated with the RSS and the VHP-Bajrang Dal from an early age, holding the posts of Nagar Karyawah and VHP Pranth Sanghathan Mantri, among others. While being active in the gauraksha (cow-protection) movements. He also participated in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. In the BJP, Maurya has been the regional (Kashi) coordinator of the backward class cell and the BJP Kisan Morcha.[4][8] He has contested the 2002, 2007, and 2012 assembly elections, he lost the 2002 and 2007 elections but won in 2012, and was the sitting MLA from Sirathu assembly constituency before getting elected as MP from the Phulpur seat in 2014 with a thumping five lakh votes and over 52 percent votes.[6] In April 2016, he was made the state president of BJP in Uttar Pradesh.[9] Under his leadership, the BJP registered a historic victory in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election. After the election results were out, he was considered a strong contender for the post of Chief Minister.[10][11][12] On 18 March 2017, he was appointed the deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.[13] He became the first MLA of the BJP from Sirathu Tahseel in the year 2012. It was the first time any MLA of BJP was elected from Sirathu Tahseel. And after two and a half years he became the MP from Phoolpur from BJP. He got the ministries of the Public Works Department (PWD), food processing, entertainment tax, and public enterprises department.[14][15] Uttar Pradesh Assembly Election 2022 In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election Keshav Prasad Maurya contested from Sirathu seat in his home district Kaushambi and lost to Samajwadi Party candidate Pallavi Patel.[16][17] Career in BJP Keshav Prasad Maurya, MP, Phoolpur (U.P) and Shri Satyapal Singh Saini, MP, Sambhal (U.P) meeting the Minister of State for Culture (Independent Charge), Tourism (Independent Charge) and Civil Aviation. Maurya was appointed state president of BJP for Uttar Pradesh, to consolidate the outreach of the party among Most Backward Castes.[18][19] Traditionally, the parties active in the state, like the Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party had the support of Yadavs and Jatavs, hence, with the appointment of Maurya as its state chief, BJP tried to woo non-Yadav OBCs in the state. Maurya worked to connect these social groups to the BJP, and with his efforts, the BJP was able to win 312 of the 403 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, in the 2017 legislative assembly elections. His tenure as BJP's state chief was also helpful in paving the way for the entry of another significant OBC leader, Swami Prasad Maurya in BJP, who also joined the party in 2016. After its win in the 2017 Assembly election, Maurya was increasingly projected as the OBC face of the party.[20] In his first tenure, Maurya remained critical of the politics of the Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party. In 2019, during a rally, Mayawati urged Muslims to vote for the BSP-SP alliance. This statement of hers was criticised by Maurya in a press briefing. Maurya alleged that Mayawati had been using Dalits as a 'vote bank', and she had started appeasing Muslims. He also said that Akhilesh Yadav is not loyal and Mayawati shouldn't believe him, pointing towards latter's tussle with Shivpal Singh Yadav.[21] In 2022, Akhilesh Yadav offered Keshav Maurya to cause a defection of hundred MLAs of BJP and join hands with Samajwadi Party. He ensured that the Samajwadi Party would provide support to Maurya in such a condition, and help him become the Chief Minister, replacing Yogi Adityanath. However, Maurya replied to Yadav that the latter should worry about their MLAs, as they can also defect towards BJP.[22][23][24] Political analysts recorded increased verbal attack by opposition leaders, specially Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Maurya, after his appointment as Deputy CM for his second term, right after losing his seat in 2022 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election. In a press conference, Yadav called Maurya a weak person. It was observed that during this phase of Maurya's tenure, Yadav and other opposition leaders singled him out and reduced their criticism of Yogi Adityanath.[25] Time and again, during his second term as deputy CM, Maurya also criticised Akhilesh Yadav publicly in press conferences for the alleged increase in criminal activities during Yadav's premiership of Uttar Pradesh. Maurya also alleged the Samajwadi Party's deception of OBCs in the name of social justice.[26] In the first quarter of 2023, Akhilesh Yadav, while speaking to the media, called Maurya a Shudra. After this remark, Maurya alleged that Yadav could get him killed, as the latter possessed hate for him.[27] Maurya was later projected as nationwide OBC face of BJP; he was deployed in various states during assembly elections to increase the mass outreach of the party. The state where he campaigned, included Gujarat in 2022, where BJP registered victory by a high margin.[28] While campaigning in Ahmedabad, Maurya called Congress leaders "Chunavi Hindus" (election Hindus), he also said that for the BJP, Gujarat is more important than Uttar Pradesh, despite Uttar Pradesh having eighty lok sabha seats, and Gujarat having only 26 seats. At an event organised by the Other Language Cell of the Gujarat wing of BJP, Maurya said:[29] “Those whose only aim is to insult Hindus in the country are chunavi Hindus. Look out for them…When elections are around, they go to the temple of Lord Somnath, Lord Ram, Hanuman. You should recall that when the Congress was in power in the country, it had told the Supreme Court that Lord Ram is just imaginary.” ... “Today, what forces the Congress to pay respects to Ram Lalla? The people of the country have known the character of Congress. And therefore, the country is becoming Congress-free.”[29] After its victory in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, to strengthen its support base among the members of Koeri caste, Maurya was also made a participant in a convention celebrating the birth anniversary of Mauryan ruler Ashoka in Patna.[30] In 2019, while campaigning for BJP candidate Narendra Mehta in Mira Bhayander constituency in Thane, Maurya said: "Voting for BJP is like dropping Atom Bomb on Pakistan. He also takes a dig at other parties by saying that Hinduism deity Lakshmi does not sit on bicycle or palm (election symbols of Samajwadi Party and Indian National Congress), rather she sits on Lotus (election symbol of BJP). He also compared the BJP's symbol with insignia of development.[31] Maurya also played a significant role in bringing many leaders of the Kushwaha community, or those leaders, who were supported by the community in the state of Uttar Pradesh, into the fold of BJP, soon after his elevation as the chief of BJP for Uttar Pradesh. One such example is of Member of Legislative Assembly from Agra Rural constituency, Hemalata Diwakar Kushwaha, who, though herself being a member of Schedule Caste Dhobi community, was supported by members of Kushwaha community in Agra constituency due to her marriage with Tikam Singh Kushwaha. It was reported that the Kushwahas were supporters of the Bahujan Samaj Party in Uttar Pradesh earlier, but BJP followed a strategy of elevatingleaders from this caste to higher positions, after raising Maurya as its state unit chief, to win over the community.[32][33] By 2023, Maurya was also made a part of campaigns of the Bharatiya Janata Party in other states, where he was made a participant in several caste rallies. In June 2023, Maurya addressed a Grand Assembly (Mahasangam) of Mali caste in Jaipur. This assembly was attended by several notable community members from the caste cluster of Maurya, Kushwaha, Mali, and Saini, which included Shobha Rani Kushwaha and former cabinet minister of Rajasthan, Prabhu Lal Saini. However, during his address, Maurya had to face sloganeering in favour of Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot, which disrupted his speech.[34] These campaigns of Maurya were a part of BJP's strategy to build an alliance of similar caste groups in Rajasthan, as it did in Uttar Pradesh.[35] In July 2024, Maurya expressed his discontent against the style of functioning of Yogi Adityanath government. During 2024 general elections in Uttar Pradesh, the rift between BJP government of the state under Adityanath and BJP party workers came to the surface with BJP losing 29 seats in the Lok Sabha elections from the state. In a meeting of party workers, Maurya commented that organisation of BJP has always remained bigger than the government and it will be so in future. This was interpreted by a section of Indian media as an attack on leadership of Yogi Adityanath. Previously, Maurya had also skipped several cabinet meetings chaired by Adityanath.[36] In the meantime, Maurya flew to Delhi and met BJP's national president J.P Nadda twice.[37] However, amidst rumours of rift between Yogi Adityanath and Maurya, latter praised Yogi Adityanath in a public address in Mirzapur district. Maurya demanded that some of the party activities that were supposed to be conducted through the political workers of BJP have been taken over by Yogi Adityanath government and the workers are not getting the recognition due to them. This event was considered as a thaw in relationship between Maurya and Yogi.[38] Ideology Maurya with Nitin Gadkari and Yogi Adityanath. Maurya was involved in cow protectionism in his early days while working as a member of various right-wing Hindu organisations. In an interview given to The Hindu, he supported the decision of Uttar Pradesh government of imposing National Security Act on those killing cows. He believed that, in the rule of BJP, the already existing cow protection legislation in the state were being implemented stringently. According to Maurya, the strict implementation of the provisions of NSA on those guilty of cow-slaughter will prevent others from doing so.[39] Governance In February 2023, Maurya launched a website named after him. The website was launched in order to make it easy for the people from the countryside in the state of Uttar Pradesh to connect with the Deputy Chief Minister Maurya. It was also designed in a way to make common people eligible to send suggestions and lodge complaints. He also launched a mobile application to track the step taken by government on the complaint made by people.[40] In July 2024, Maurya was quick to write to the Appointment and Personnel department of Government of Uttar Pradesh, which then functioned under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on the issue of proper implementation of the reservation for Schedule Castes, Tribes and Other Backward Castes. The issue arose after dismal performance of BJP in 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh under Yogi Adityanath. Party's state chief Bhupendera Singh Chaudhary submitted a report to central leadership of BJP that sought shifting of votes of SC, ST and OBC community to INDIA alliance as the reason behind poor performance of BJP. Maurya, hence, demanded the data from the Appointment and Personnel department on contractual and outsourced staffs who were being recruited to various government departments in a bid to examine that whether the OBC, SC and ST community is represented in those appointments or not.[41] Maurya's response came soon after allegations made by BJP's ally Anupriya Patel, who alleged that under Yogi Adityanath government, the SC, ST and OBC candidates are being declared not suitable in the interview based appointment process to government departments, which hinders the implementation of reservation policy made for their proper representation at various echelons of government.[42] Maurya also backed the protest of 69,000 teachers who were about to be recruited by a test conducted in 2019 for the position of Assistant Teachers in various government schools of Uttar Pradesh. The protesters alleged that despite securing more marks than the candidates of general category they were being selected against the vacancy meant for reserved category candidates. Moreover, the quota rules for the reserved category candidates are being sidelined and more than fifty percent of general caste candidates are being selected reducing the representation of Other Backward Castes and Dalits. In 2022, Yogi Adityanath government agreed to the allegations and admitted that discrepancies in implementation of quota rules have happened. This was followed by judgements of Allahabad High Court on issuing fresh list of candidates after reconsideration of the quota rules.

Pallavi Patel is an Indian politician from the state of Uttar Pradesh. She is the leader of Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) party. She is the daughter of Apna Dal founder Sone Lal Patel[1] and current member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly from Sirathu as Samajwadi Party candidate.[2] Pallavi Patel is the sister of Anupriya Patel, a former minister of State for Commerce and Industry of India and president of Apna Dal (Soneylal) political party.[3] Political career In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, Apna Dal (Kamerawadi)'s leader, Dr. Pallavi Patel contested on the Samajwadi Party symbol and defeated Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya by 7,337 votes in Sirathu. Dr. Pallavi Patel Member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly Incumbent Assumed office 10 March 2022 Preceded by Sheetala Prasad Constituency Sirathu Personal details Born 1 january 1981 (age 44–45) Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India Party Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) Spouse Pankaj Niranjan Relations Anupriya Patel (sister) Ashish Singh (brother-in-law) Parents • Sone Lal Patel (father) • Krishna Patel (mother)

Pro-tem Speaker of the 17th Odisha Legislative Assembly (June 2024) Ranendra Pratap Swain is an Indian politician who was elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly from Athagarh as a member of the Biju Janata Dal Ranendra Pratap Swain Member of Odisha Legislative Assembly Incumbent Assumed office 4 June 2024 Preceded by Ranendra Pratap Swain Constituency Athagarh Personal details Party Biju Janata Dal Profession Politician The following table and summary outline the key details about Ranendra Pratap Swain, a senior Indian politician and prominent member of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD): [1, 2] Personal and Career Overview Feature Details Full Name Ranendra Pratap Swain (often nicknamed "Raja Swain") Political Party Biju Janata Dal (BJD) (formerly Janata Dal) Constituency Athagarh (Athagad) Assembly constituency Terms Served 8-time Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Educational Qualification M.A., LLB Recent Special Role Pro-tem Speaker of the 17th Odisha Legislative Assembly (June 2024) Key Political Highlights • Consistent Victory: He has dominated the Athagarh constituency, winning elections across multiple legislative terms, including 1990, 1995, 2000, 2004, 2012 (bypoll), 2014, 2019, and 2024. [3, 4, 5] • Leadership: Beyond serving as a legislator, he has previously held cabinet portfolios in the Government of Odisha under Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. [6] • Pro-tem Speaker Appointment: Following the 2024 state elections, he was sworn in to administer the oath of office to newly elected members of the 17th assembly.

MLA (6th term) from Jaswantnagar Shivpal Singh Yadav (born 16 February 1955) is an Indian politician and educationist from Uttar Pradesh. He was born in Saifai village, Etawah district, and is a younger brother of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and uncle of the former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav. He is a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, representing the Jaswantnagar seat in Etawah district since 1996. He is also the National General Secretary of Samajwadi Party and was appointed on 29 January 2023. In 2018, he founded his own party named Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohiya), which was merged into Samajwadi Party in 2022.[5] Early life and education Shivpal Singh Yadav was born on 16 February 1955[6] in Saifai village, Etawah district to Sughar Singh Yadav and Murti Devi. He has studied in Kanpur University's K.K. P.G. College, Etawah and University of Lucknow's Lucknow Christian College and earned BA (1976) and BPEd (1977) degrees respectively. Family See also: Political families of Uttar Pradesh Shivpal is the youngest among 5 brothers. Ratan Singh Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Abhay Ram Yadav and Rajpal Singh Yadav are his elder brothers. He has a sister, Kamla Devi Yadav. Rajya Sabha MP Ram Gopal Yadav and his sister Geeta Yadav are his cousins. Career Shivpal Singh Yadav has been the MLA from the Jaswantnagar constituency since 1996. Yadav was the leader of the opposition in Uttar Pradesh Assembly since 2007 during the Mayawati regime.[7] He contested Firozabad in 2019, but he came third. Positions held Shivpal Singh Yadav has served 6 times as MLA. He lost the 17th Lok Sabha election from Firozabad in 2019. # From To Position Party 1. 1996 2002 MLA (1st term) from Jaswantnagar SP 2. 2002 2007 MLA (2nd term) from Jaswantnagar SP 3. 2007 2012 MLA (3rd term) from Jaswantnagar SP 4. 2012 2017 MLA (4th term) from Jaswantnagar SP 5. 2017 2022 MLA (5th term) from Jaswantnagar SP 6. 2022 Present MLA (6th term) from Jaswantnagar SP Personal life Shivpal Singh Yadav is married to Sarla Yadav since 1981 and they have a son Aditya Yadav and daughter Dr. Anubha Yadav. Anubha's husband Ajay Yadav is an IAS officer of 2010 batch and Tamil Nadu cadre. Member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly Incumbent Assumed office 17 October 1996 Preceded by Mulayam Singh Yadav Constituency Jaswantnagar Cabinet Minister in Uttar Pradesh In office 15 March 2012 – 24 October 2016 Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav In office 6 September 2003[1] – 11 May 2007 Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav President of Samajwadi Party, Uttar Pradesh In office 13 September 2016 – 1 January 2017 Preceded by Akhilesh Yadav Succeeded by Naresh Uttam Patel In office 6 January 2009 – 4 June 2009[2] Preceded by Ram Sharan Das Succeeded by Akhilesh Yadav State Incharge of Samajwadi Party, Uttar Pradesh In office 12 April 2016[3] – 13 September 2016 Preceded by Office established Succeeded by Office abolished Leader of the Opposition in Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly In office 26 May 2009 – 9 March 2012 Preceded by Mulayam Singh Yadav Succeeded by Swami Prasad Maurya President of Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohiya) In office 28 August 2018 – 10 December 2022 Preceded by Office established Succeeded by Office abolished Personal details Born 16 February 1955 (age 71) Saifai, Uttar Pradesh, India Party Samajwadi Party (1992–2017; since 2022) Other political affiliations • Independent (2017-2018) • Samajwadi Secular Morcha (2018) • Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohiya) (2018-2022) Spouse Sarla Yadav (m. 1981) Relations Mulayam Singh Yadav (brother) Ram Gopal Yadav (cousin) Akhilesh Yadav (nephew) Dimple Yadav (daughter-in-law) Dharmendra Yadav (nephew) Akshay Yadav (nephew) Tej Pratap Singh Yadav (grand-nephew) Children 2 (1 son & 1 daughter; including Aditya Yadav) Alma mater K.K. P.G. College, Etawah Kanpur University (B.A., 1976), Lucknow Christian College University of Lucknow (B.P.Ed., 1977)

Tejashwi Prasad Yadav (born 9 November 1989) is an Indian politician and former professional cricketer.[2][3][4] He has previously served for two terms as the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and current leader of opposition in lower house.[5] He is the youngest son of former Chief Ministers of Bihar Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi. Early life and education Mr. Yadav was born in Gopalganj, Bihar to Rabri Devi and Lalu Prasad Yadav, both former chief ministers of Bihar.[6][7][8] He is the youngest of the nine siblings and has seven sisters and a brother.[9] He went to school in Patna and later, moved to Delhi, along with his eldest sister, Misa Bharti.[10] In Delhi, he attended Delhi Public School in Vasant Vihar for primary classes till Class V.[10][11] He also studied at Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram from Class 6 but dropped out.[10][11] He did not complete his Class 10 and discontinued his studies to pursue sports.[12][13] Personal life On 9 December 2021, Yadav married his long-time friend, Rachel Godinho, a Goan Catholic;[14] she later changed her name to Rajshree Yadav.[15][16] She is from Rewari, Haryana, and has been living in Delhi since childhood.[17][18] She and Yadav studied together at DPS school in RK Puram, New Delhi.[19] Cricket career As a professional cricketer, he was in the Delhi Daredevils and the Jharkhand cricket team.[20][21] He is noted to have been both the youngest Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and the youngest Leader of Opposition in India.[10][6] He was featured in the Indian Express '100 Most Powerful Indians' in 2020 and 2021.[22] He captained his school cricket team.[11] He played in the Delhi Public School's cricket team and was selected for the U-15 cricket team of Delhi as an all rounder at the age of 13.[10][11] His team also included Virat Kohli as its captain.[9] The U-15 team won the national championship, where Mr. Yadav had a match winning partnership with Ishant Sharma in the finals.[10] He dropped out of his school in Class X to pursue a sports career[23] and was eventually got into U-17 and U-19 cricket team of Delhi.[10][11] He was also selected in the list of standby players for the world cup winning U-19 Indian national cricket team, later in the same year.[10] He was contracted by the Delhi Daredevils for the 2008 Indian Premier League franchise.[7][11] But remained in the reserve bench of the team for the entire seasons between 2008 and 2012.[24] He was also selected for the state level Jharkhand cricket team in 2009.[25] His professional cricket debut began with four Twenty20 matches, primarily, in the capacity of a bowler in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.[26] Following when he was called for a first class game against Vidarbha cricket team at Dhanbad.[25][26] In 2010, he made his one-day debut in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and played two matches against Odisha cricket team and the Tripura cricket team, respectively.[26] In 2013, Mr. Yadav retired from his cricket career.[27] Political career Mr. Yadav started his political life in 2010, campaigning for the Rashtriya Janata Dal.[28][7] He first became an MLA winning the 2015 Bihar Legislative Assembly election, representing the Mahagathbandan (grand alliance) from the Raghopur constituency.[29] The alliance won the elections[30] and he became the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and was minister for public works, forestry and environment in the 5th Nitish Kumar cabinet.[11][31] In March 2018, he become the de facto leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal.[32][33] He led the Rashtriya Janata Dal in the 2020 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections, as the chief ministerial candidate of the Mahagathbandhan. The alliance won 110 seats in total out of 243, with RJD winning 75 seats, continuing to remain the single largest political party in Bihar. Since the majority required was 122, the alliance was unable to form the government, and he was elected as the Leader of Opposition of Bihar. On 10 August 2022, he took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar with Nitish Kumar taking oath as chief minister as part of the Mahagathbandan formed with RJD, Congress and other Opposition Parties.[34] In 2024, Nitish Kumar left the Mahagathbandhan and formed the government with BJP, effectively terminating Mr. Yadav's tenure as deputy chief minister once again. He led the Rashtriya Janata Dal in the 2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections, as the chief ministerial candidate of the Mahagathbandhan. The alliance won 35 seats in total out of 243, with RJD winning 25 seats, a record low. Positions held Tejashwi Yadav has served 3 times as MLA. From To Position Constituency 2015 2020 MLA in the 16th Bihar Assembly Raghopur 2020 2025 MLA in the 17th Bihar Assembly Raghopur 2025 Present MLA in the 18th Bihar Assembly Raghopur Criminal cases IRCTC Hotel Tender Scam In 2017, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a case against Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav, and others alleging irregularities in awarding contracts to maintain IRCTC hotels in Ranchi and Puri during Lalu’s tenure as Railway Minister.[35][36] The CBI alleged that in exchange for awarding these tenders to a private company, prime land in Patna was transferred to a shell company named "Sujata Hotel" controlled by the Yadav family at a fraction of its market value.[37] A detailed charge sheet named Tejashwi Yadav as an accused for offences under IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating), along with provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.[38] This caused Nitish Kumar to pull the Janata Dal (United), out of the alliance and form a new government along with the Bharatiya Janata Party.[24][39] In 2018, he was granted bail, and the case remains under trial in a Delhi court.[40] Land-for-Jobs Scam In 2022, the CBI filed a new case accusing Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav, and other family members of taking plots of land from people in return for giving them Group D railway jobs during Lalu’s tenure as Railway Minister between 2004 and 2009.[41] The Enforcement Directorate also began a separate investigation under the money laundering law, claiming the money from these deals was moved through shell companies and benami properties to benefit the family. The ED attached several properties linked to Mr. Yadav and questioned Tejashwi several times. In 2023, the CBI filed a charge sheet naming him, and the court is currently hearing arguments on whether to formally frame charges.[42] Shakti Malik Murder Allegation In October 2020, former RJD leader Shakti Malik was shot dead in Purnia district, Bihar. He was killed by three men in Purnea district of Bihar on Sunday. The attackers, who arrived on a bike, entered Malik’s house while he was sleeping and shot him in the head, killing him instantly.[43] After his murder, his family filed an FIR accusing Tejashwi Yadav and his brother Tej Pratap Yadav of planning the killing and issuing threats against him.[44] After the killing, a video went viral in which Malik claimed that Tejashwi Prasad Yadav had demanded Rs 50 lakh as a donation for giving him a party ticket to contest from the Raniganj seat and had threatened to eliminate him if he continued his work in the constituency.[43] The case was registered under sections for murder, criminal conspiracy, and the Arms Act.[43] Other Cases Declared in Election Affidavit In his 2020 election affidavit, Tejashwi Yadav disclosed that he faces 11 criminal cases.[45] These include charges such as criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, and offences under anti-corruption and money-laundering laws. Many of the cases are tied to the IRCTC and land-for-jobs scams, while others stem from FIRs filed over political protests and alleged public order violations in Bihar.[46] Controversy Defamation Case over “Gujarati Thugs” Remark In 2024, Tejashwi Yadav courted controversy by remarking that “only Gujaratis can be thugs,” in an apparent jibe at economic offenders. A social worker in Gujarat filed a criminal defamation complaint against him under IPC sections 499 and 500. Tejashwi withdrew his remark in court, and in February 2024, the Supreme Court of India quashed the defamation proceedings, bringing the case to an end