Bhupesh Baghel

Baghel was born on 23 August 1960 in a Kurmi family in Durg district.

He is the son of Nand Kumar Baghel and Bindeshwari Baghel.

His family's primary occupation is agriculture.

He is married to Mukteshwari Baghel.

They have one son and three daughters.

Baghel belongs to Other Backward Class Kurmi community and he had been an OBC face of the Congress for long in the state of Chhattisgarh.

His wife, Mukteshwari Baghel, is the daughter of famous Hindi writer Dr. Narendra Dev Verma and niece of spiritual leader Swami Atmanand.

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.

Bhupesh Baghel (born 23 August 1961), popularly known as Kaka, is an Indian politician who served as the 3rd Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh from 2018 to 2023.

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 (Independent Charge), M.P. Governance in Digvijay Singh’s cabinet in December 1998 and became Minister of Transport in December 1999.

He had been cabinet minister of Transportation in undivided Madhya Pradesh in Digvijaya Singh government from 1999 to 2003.

He was first Minister for Revenue, Public Health Engineering and Relief Work of Chhattisgarh.

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 represents the Patan constituency in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly since 2013 and from 2003 to 2008.

He again won Patan Vidhan Sabha seat in 2013 election, and became Member of Working Committee, Chhattisgarh Assembly.

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.

He was president of Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress from 2014 to 2019.

In 2014-15, he became Member of Public Accounts Committee, CG Government.

He was President of state unit of Indian National Congress from October 2014 to June 2019.

Under his presidency Chhattisgarh Congress won the 2018 Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly election by a thumping majority.

Baghel became MLA from Patan assembly seat again and became the Chief Minister of the state defeating BJP’s Raman Singh, after leading the opposition in Chhattisgarh State Assembly for 15 years.

He took oath as chief minister on 17 December 2018.

He was replaced by Kondagaon MLA Mohan Markam as PCC President in June 2019.

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 (temporary teacher) policy and vacancy for posts of 15,000 permanent teachers was announced.

Bhupesh Baghel is the architect of this innovative scheme.

The objective of this scheme is to revive the agricultural economy by striking a balance between modernity and traditions.

The scheme has been launched to ensure water conservation, livestock protection and development, use of organic compost through household waste and cultivation of fruits and vegetables in backyards for self consumption and earning additional income.

Rural Development, Water Resources Development Department, Forest Department is being taken for Narva (rivulets and streams) related work.

As of February, about 30,000 Narva have been identified and the development of about 5,000 Narva has already been completed.

As of September 2022, under Garva (livestock) project, a total of 10,624 villages in the state have received approval for the construction of gauthan, of which 8,408 are already operational and 1758 are in the planning stages.

Under Ghurva (compost) project, until this year, about 20 lakh quintal vermi compost has been produced by the individuals of women self-help groups in Gothans.

An amount of Rs 166.84 crore has been paid as dividend to Gauthan committees and women self-help groups.

At the same time, vegetable seeds and plants are being distributed under the nutrition scheme under Bari Yojana.