Bhagat Singh Koshyari is an Indian politician and the current Governor of Maharashtra. He was born on June 17, 1942, in Palanadhura, Bageshwar district, Uttarakhand, India. Bhagat Singh Koshyari started his political career as a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Hayat Singh Koshyari [1] |
| Nickname | Bhagat Da [2] |
| Profession(s) | Politician, Social Activist, Teacher, Journalist |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters– 168 cm in meters– 1.68 m in feet & inches– 5’ 6” |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Salt and Pepper |
| Politics | |
| Political Party | Bharatiya Janata Party (1980s-2019)
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| Political Journey | • Contested and lost the Lok Sabha elections on BJP’s ticket from the Almora constituency (1989) • Became a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council (1997) • Minister of Energy, Irrigation, Parliamentary, and Legislative Affairs (November 2000 – October 2001) • 2nd Chief Minister of Uttarakhand (30 October 2001 – 1 March 2002) • Contested and won the Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha elections on BJP’s ticket from the Kapkot constituency (2002) • Contested and won the Uttarakhand assembly elections from the Kapkot constituency (2007) • Elected to the Rajya Sabha as a BJP candidate from Uttarakhand (26 November 2008) • Contested and won the Lok Sabha elections on BJP’s ticket from the Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar constituency (2014) |
| Constitutional Posts |
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| Post(s) | • 22nd Governor of Maharashtra (5 September 2019 – 12 February 2023) • Governor (additional charge) of Goa (18 August 2020 – 6 July 2021) |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 17 June 1942 (Wednesday) |
| Age (as of 2022) | 80 Years |
| Birthplace | Palanadhura Chetabgarh, Bageshwar District, United Provinces, British India (now Uttarakhand, India) |
| Zodiac sign | Gemini |
| Signature |  |
| Nationality | • British Indian (1942-1947) • Indian (1947-present) |
| Hometown | Palanadhura Chetabgarh, Bageshwar district, Uttarakhand, India |
| School | • Junior high school in Shama • High school in Kapkot, Uttarakhand • Senior Secondary in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand |
| College/University | Almora College |
| Educational Qualification(s) | • BA in English • MA [3] |
| Religion/Religious Views | Hinduism [4] |
| Caste | Rajput [5] |
| Food Habit | Vegetarian |
| Address | B-187, Sector- 4, Defence Colony, Dehradun, Uttarakhand Pin 248001 |
| Hobbies | Reading and Trekking |
| Controversies | A tenure riddled with controversies: Bhagat Singh Koshyari often made headlines after assuming the governorship of Maharashtra. Many political parties often complained about his political biasedness. In 2019, when there was a conflict going on between the BJP and Shiv Sena over the selection of the Chief Ministerial candidate, Bhagat Singh was accused by many Shiv Sena politicians of adhering to the demands of the BJP and administering the oath of the Chief Minister to BJP’s candidate Devendra Fadnavis. Devendra, however, stepped down from the post a few days later, paving way for Uddhav Thackeray to become the CM of Maharashtra. Bhagat Singh attracted controversy in 2020 when he wrote a letter to CM Uddhav Thackeray, asking him to allow the Hindus to visit temples during the lockdown due to the second wave of COVID-19. In the letter, he asked if Uddhav had turned secular, which was a reason for him to not reopen the temples. Later, many politicians, including Sharad Pawar, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to take strict action against Bhagat Singh Koshyari for the language he used in the letter. In November 2020, Koshyari was accused by the Maharashtra government of deliberately holding his decision over the appointment of twelve nominees for the legislative council for more than a year and a half. According to sources, he withheld his decision despite orders from the Bombay High Court and reminders from the state government. According to the Indian constitution, a governor has to clear the names of the nominees recommended by the state government for the legislative council within a given time. In 2021, he once again made headlines after the staff of the Governor’s official plane boarded him off on the orders of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). According to sources, Koshyari was using his official plane without seeking clearance from the Maharashtra government to attend a program in Mussoorie. Koshyari hit the headlines after he made a controversial remark about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj during an event in Aurangabad in 2022. While giving a speech, Koshyari said that without his guru saint Samarth Ramdas, Shivaji would not have made his mark in the history of India. Talking about it, he said, “Many maharajas and chakravartin (emperors) were born on this land. But, who would have asked about Chandragupta had there not been Chanakya? Who would have asked about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had there not been Samarth (Ramdas).” His remark on Shivaji was criticized by many politicians and Maratha groups, who said that Shivaji was not educated and trained by Ramdas but by his mother Rajmata Jijau. He once again attracted criticism after he made fun of Savitribai Phule’s child marriage while inaugurating her statue in Pune in 2022. In his statement, he said, “Savitribai was married off when she was ten years old…and her husband (Jyotiba) was 13 years old. Now imagine, what would the boy and girls have been doing after marriage. What would they have been thinking?” He was once again criticized in 2022 for saying that Mumbai would cease to exist as the financial capital of India if all the Gujaratis and Rajasthanis left Maharashtra. While giving an interview, he said, “I tell people here that if Gujaratis and Rajasthanis are removed from Maharashtra, especially Mumbai, and Thane, you will have no money and Mumbai will not be a financial capital.” After his remark met with severe criticism, Bhagat Singh Koshyari apologized. In November 2022, while presenting Nitin Gadkari with a D.Litt degree, he once again gave a controversial remark about Shivaji Maharaj, calling him an “icon of the past.” He further said that while Shivaji is an inspiration of the old days, politicians like Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and Nitin Gadkari were present-day idols. Talking about it, he said, “Earlier, when you would be asked who is your icon — Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Mahatma Gandhi used to be the answers. Whereas in Maharashtra, you need not look elsewhere (as) there are so many icons here… while Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is of olden times, there are icons such as Ambedkar and Nitin Gadkari in modern times.” For the statement, Koshyari was not only criticised by senior leaders of parties like the Shiv Sena and NCP but also by BJP. While many leaders demanded his resignation, some demanded that he be transferred to a different state. [6] Talking about it, in an interview, a senior BJP leader named Praveen Darekar said, “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj cannot be compared with anybody. We worship him and he is our idol. He remains a great inspiration and guides to all leaders and individuals in Maharashtra, across the country, and abroad. Comparing Shivaji with Gadkari would be wrong…” |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Family | |
| Wife/Spouse | N/A |
| Parents | Father– Gopal Singh Koshyari (deceased; farmer) Mother– Motima Devi (deceased; homemaker) |
| Siblings | Brother(s)– 2 Nandan Singh Koshyari (younger; journalist) Jagat Singh Namti (younger)Sister(s)– 8 Parvati Koshyari (deceased)
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| Favorites | |
| Food | Khichdi |
| Money Factor | |
| Salary (approx.) | His salary as the Governor of Maharashtra was estimated to be Rs. 3.50 lakhs in 2022. [7] |
| Assets/Properties | Movable Assets • Cash: Rs. 50,000 • Bank Deposits: Rs. 18,12,703Immovable Assets • Agricultural Land: Rs. 3,00,000 • Commercial Buildings: Rs. 30,00,000 • Residential Buildings: Rs. 4,00,000 [8] |
| Net Worth (approx.) | In 2014, his net worth was around Rs. 55,62,703. [9] |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Bhagat Singh Koshyari
- Early life: Bhagat Singh Koshyari was born on June 17, 1942, in Bageshwar, a town in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. His father, Govind Ballabh Pant, was a freedom fighter and served as the Chief Minister of the United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh) from 1937 to 1939.
- Political career: Bhagat Singh Koshyari started his political career as a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He later joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar constituency in 1998 and 1999.
- RSS background: Bhagat Singh Koshyari is known for his close association with the RSS, a right-wing Hindu nationalist organization. He was a pracharak (full-time worker) of the RSS in the 1960s and 1970s and later served as the organization’s prant pracharak (regional in-charge) in Uttarakhand.
- Literary works: Bhagat Singh Koshyari is also a well-known author and has written several books in Hindi, including “Kanwal Dhara” (Lotus Stream), “Kuchh Isharon Ke Bich” (Between Some Signals), and “Swaran Singh Chakra” (Swaran Singh Circle). His literary works reflect his deep interest in spirituality and social issues.
- Governor of Maharashtra: Bhagat Singh Koshyari was appointed as the Governor of Maharashtra on September 5, 2019. As the Governor, he has been involved in various initiatives to promote the development of the state and improve the lives of its people.