Bhupesh Baghel (Indian Politician) Biography

Quick Info

Profession

Politician

Nationality

Indian

Date of Birth

23/08/1960

Age

65 years

Birthplace

Durg, Madhya Pradesh, India (Now in Chhattisgarh)

Hometown

Durg, Chhattisgarh

School

Higher Secondary School Marar Patan, Durg (1978)

College/University

Science College, affiliated with Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur; Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur

Educational Qualification(s)

Degree 1	BSc from Science College (1983)
Degree 2	Post-graduate degree in science from Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University (1986)

Religion

Hinduism

Caste

Kurmi Kshatriya (OBC)

Address

Mansarovar Awasiya Parisar, Bhilai-3, P.O. Bhilai-3, Tahsil Bhilai-3, District- Durg, Chhattisgarh, India

Hobbies

Reading, Writing, Listening to Music

Latest News about Bhupesh Baghel

16/03/2026

Bhupesh Baghel raised questions regarding the pregnancy of three tribal hostel students in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh. The incident came to light when two 12th-grade students and one 11th-grade student from a Pota Cabin hostel were found to be pregnant while appearing for their board exams. Baghel questioned why hostel management and officials were not informed despite health department employees creating pregnancy cards for the students, two of whom are minors.

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Bio/Wiki

Full name	Bhupesh Kumar Baghel
Nickname	Kaka

Physical Stats & More

Height	5' 9" (175 cm)
Eye Color	Dark Brown
Hair Color	Salt and Pepper

Personal Life

Marriage Date

03/02/1982

Controversies

Brief Details of IPCs	1 charge related to the punishment of criminal conspiracy (IPC Section-120B) 1 charge related to forgery for the purpose of harming reputation (IPC Section-469) 1 charge related to using as genuine a forged document or electronic record (IPC Section-471)
Sex CD Controversy	In October 2016, Chhattisgarh Police arrested journalist Vinod Verma based on a complaint filed by the then PWD Minister Rajesh Munat. Munat alleged that Verma demanded money, threatening to distribute a purportedly "fake" sex tape involving him to rival politicians. Law enforcement claimed to have recovered 500 copies of the tape. Verma, during questioning, disclosed the names of influential businessmen and Bhupesh Baghel. Later, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the case, leading to Baghel's arrest. Bhupesh claimed his innocence, stating that the Bharatiya Janata Party implicated him in the case, and went on a protest against the government. In October 2019, the Supreme Court intervened by putting a halt to the trial against Bhupesh.
Rice Mill Fraud	In 2023, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleged that the Chhattisgarh government inflated payments to custom paddy millers leading to kickbacks amounting to Rs. 175 crore. Bhupesh refuted the ED's accusations, criticizing the agency for allegedly aligning its actions with the BJP.
The Liquor Fraud	Anwar Dhebar, brother of Raipur Mayor Aijaz Dhebar, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for his alleged involvement in a liquor scam in Chhattisgarh in 2019. The BJP claimed that Bhupesh Baghel was well aware of the scam and received commissions from it. Bhupesh claimed his innocence and stated that the BJP aimed to damage his reputation before the 2023 Assembly elections.
Involvement in The Mahadev App Case	In November 2023, Bhupesh Baghel was linked to the Mahadev betting app case. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleged that the app's promoters paid bribes of Rs. 508 crores to Baghel. Sources reported that Shubham Soni, a key figure in the case, confessed in a video that he paid Rs. 508 crores to Baghel. Soni mentioned that Baghel had encouraged him to establish his gambling business in Dubai. Baghel denied any connection with Soni and accused the ED of attempting to tarnish his reputation with baseless accusations.

Relationships & More

Marital Status	Married

Family

Father

Nand Kumar Baghel (passed away on 08/01/2024; farmer, politician)

Mother

Bindeshwari Baghel

Siblings

Two sisters, one of whom lives abroad.

Spouse

Mukteshwari Baghel

Children

Son	Chaitanya Baghel (doctor, owns a real estate business)
Daughters	Dipti Baghel (assistant professor) Smita Baghel Divya Chandrakar

Other Relatives

Father-in-law	Dr Narendra Dev Verma (famous writer)
Nephew	Vijay Baghel (BJP politician, member of the Lok Sabha)

Career

Political Party	Indian National Congress (INC)
Political Journey	Joined Indian Youth Congress (IYC) (1985) Became the President of District Youth Congress in Durg (1990-1994) Elected to Madhya Pradesh Assembly from Patan constituency (1993) Became a member of the All India Congress Committee Served as General Secretary and Program Coordinator in the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee Became Vice-President of Madhya Pradesh Youth Congress (1994-1995) Re-elected to Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly from Patan (1998) Appointed Minister of the Public Grievance Department (1998) Became Minister of Transport (1999) Member of the Estimates Committee of the Aviation Department Member of the Consultative Committee of the Aviation Department Appointed chairman of Madhya Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (January 2000) Became the first Minister for Revenue, Public Health Engineering, and relief (2000-2003) Became a member of Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly from the Patan constituency (2003) Appointed as the deputy leader of opposition (2003-2008) Contested and lost the Parliamentary Election from the Durg Lok Sabha constituency (2004) Contested and lost the Chhattisgarh Vidhan Sabha elections from the Patan constituency (2008) Contested and lost the Parliamentary Election from the Raipur Lok Sabha seat (2009) Contested and won the Chhattisgarh Vidhan Sabha elections from the Patan constituency (2013) Became President of Indian National Congress in Chhattisgarh (December 2014 - December 2019) Appointed as the 3rd Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh (2018-2023) Held the charge of the departments of Finance, Mining, General Administration, Public Relations, and Electronics and Information Technology as CM Elected to Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly from Patan constituency (2023) Became Chairman of the State Planning Commission of Chhattisgarh Lost the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Rajnandgaon constituency to BJPs Santosh Pandey by 44,411 votes
Notable Schemes As CM	Narva, Garva, Ghurva, Bari: The initiative sought to boost water conservation, safeguard livestock, promote the utilization of organic compost from household waste, and engage in the cultivation of fruits and vegetables in home gardens for both personal use and earning extra income. Mukhymantri Haat Bazar Clinic Yojana: Implemented in 2019 to provide medical care to the poor, especially in tribal areas, by deploying vans with trained medical personnel in market areas. The World Health Organisation (WHO) produced a documentary on it. Chief Minister Dai-Didi Clinic Scheme: Focused on providing Medicare to women in the state through all-female mobile medical units. The scheme's success inspired adoption in neighboring states. Malaria Mukt Bastar Scheme: Initiated in 2020 to perform Malaria tests and offer free treatment in the Bastar region. The region achieved the lowest API ranking within a year. Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana (RGKNY): Launched in May 2020, allocated around Rs. 5700 crore for distribution among farmers to incentivize crop production and reduce reliance on imports. The scheme inspired others like Godhan Nyay Yojana and RGGBKMNY. Godhan Nyay Yojana: Launched in July 2020 to motivate organic farming. The government purchased cow dung and cow urine for vermicompost and fertilizer production. This scheme reduced Naxalite recruitment by generating employment. Mukhyamantri Suposhan Abhiyan: Implemented in October 2020 to eradicate malnutrition and anemia, especially among women and children, with integrated diet and ration plans. Padhai Tuhar Dwar Scheme: Drafted during the COVID-19 lockdown in India to provide study materials and setup Mohalla Classes with loudspeakers and NGO partnerships. Swami Atmanand English Medium School Scheme: Implemented in November 2020 to provide quality education through 52 newly established schools for kids from BPL families. The Ram Van Gaman Path Project: Chhattisgarh government allocated Rs. 137.45 crore for a national project tracing the route believed to have been taken by Lord Rama in the Ramayana. Mukhyamantri Shahri Slum Swasthya Yojana: Launched in November 2020 to provide free medical care to slum dwellers through 120 mobile medical vans. Mahtari Dular Yojana: Implemented in May 2021 to provide financial aid and educational support to children who lost parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mor Zameen-Mor Makaan Yojana: Combined the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) with 19 schemes to offer modular homes, earning a national award.
Awards & Honours	Mahatma Phule Samta Award from the All India Mahatma Phule Samta Parisha (2021) Honourary doctorate from Sorbonne University (2023) Honourary doctorate from Hemchand Yadav Vishwavidyalaya (Durg University) (2023)

Favourites

Sportsperson	Sunil Gavaskar Gundappa Viswanath
Actor	Amitabh Bachchan
Film	Abhimaan (1973) Chupke Chupke (1975)
Politician	Jayaprakash Narayan
Mobile Game	Candy Crush

Style Quotient

Car Collection

Mahindra Alturas G4

Salary/Income

Salary as an MLA	Rs. 1,60,000 + other allowances (as of January 2024)
Income	Rs. 29,67,109 (in the financial year 2022-2023)

Assets/Properties

Movable Assets

Cash	Rs. 8,36,325
Deposits in Banks, Financial Institutions, and Non-Banking Financial Companies	Rs. 56,03,921
Bonds, Debentures, and Shares in companies	Rs. 2,000
LIC or other insurance Policies	Rs. 31,056
Motor Vehicles	Rs. 38,20,286
Jewellery	Rs. 5,85,000

Immovable Assets

Agricultural Land	Rs. 19,26,32,206
Residential Buildings	Rs. 93,07,038

Net Worth

Rs. 21,12,16,627 (estimated for 2023, excluding wife's net worth)

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. He began managing his family’s farmland after completing fifth grade.
2. During college, he joined the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and developed an interest in politics.
3. After graduating from Science College in Durg, he worked on his family farm.
4. In 1993, he was appointed as the patron of the Manva Kurmi Chhatriya Society of Chhattisgarh.
5. He organized mass marriage ceremonies to advocate for marriages with minimal expenses.
6. He held various positions in Madhya Pradesh, including member of the Food and Civil Supplies Corporation and director of the Housing Board.
7. He served as the first Minister of Revenue, Public Health Engineering, and Relief Work in Chhattisgarh.
8. In the 2008 Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly elections, he lost to Vijay Baghel (BJP) by 7,842 votes.
9. He played a crucial role in boosting the morale of INC workers in Chhattisgarh as the party president.
10. After becoming Chief Minister in 2018, he ordered the cancellation of loans for over 2 million farmers.
11. He issued an order to create 15,000 vacancies for permanent teachers in the state.
12. He worked on reclaiming land for Adivasis that had been taken by multinational corporations.
13. Despite pledging a liquor ban in 2018, he didn't implement it due to negative effects observed during the COVID-19 lockdown.
14. In 2019, he sent a mirror to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, encouraging introspection on his "true self."
15. His biography 'Common Man Bhupesh Baghel' was released in 2020.
16. He handled his father's arrest objectively in 2021 without any interference from his position.
17. He had a strained relationship with his father due to controversial public statements.
18. In 2022, he launched the Chhattisgarhi Olympics to promote local and traditional sports.
19. An affidavit in 2023 revealed that his wife has a higher net worth than him.
20. A photo of him playing Candy Crush during an INC meeting went viral, showcasing his love for the game.
21. He admitted to consuming alcohol but later quit.
22. His father, a member of the Samajwadi Party, never backed his INC career.

Bhupesh Baghel Politician Indian Durg, Madhya Pradesh, India (Now in Chhattisgarh)