# Dara Singh Chauhan

Dara Singh Chauhan (born 25 July 1963) is an Indian politician, currently serving as member of legislative council, and formerly represented the Madhuban (Assembly constituency) in Uttar Pradesh as a member of Bharatiya Janata Party. He was former Cabinet Minister in Yogi Adityanath ministry. He also represented Ghosi in the 15th Lok Sabha, where he was leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party. In 16th Lok Sabha, he was defeated by Harinarayan Rajbhar who represented Bharatiya Janata Party by more than 140,000 votes.
On 2 February 2015, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of party president Amit Shah in New Delhi.
Soon after he joined BJP, he was made BJP Chauhan Morcha President and given the ticket to fight the MLA Election from Madhuban Constituency, where many people were rallying to get BJP ticket. He won election from Madhuban Constituency by more than 30,000 votes and was able to grow saffron for first time in this constituency and become cabinet minister in U.P. government.

## Early life and education

Chauhan was born 25 July 1963 in Galvara village of Azamgarh district to his father Ram Kishan Chauhan. He married Disha Chauhan, they have two sons and two daughters. In 1980, he attended the Madhyamik Shikasha Parishad Allahabad and attained High School education. He is a senior backward caste politician, prominent in OBC politics in Uttar Pradesh.

## Political career

Chauhan was elected Deputy Secretary in DAVPG College, Azamgarh as a student leader. After student politics, he remained active in mainstream politics as Indian National Congress office holder leader and joined Samajwadi Party in 1996 and got elected for Rajya Sabha. He was a Rajya Sabha member for two consecutive terms (1996-2000) and (2000-2006). He joined the Bahujan Samaj Party in 2007 after fall of Mulayam Singh Yadav's government in Uttar Pradesh and Mayawati became Chief Minister Of Uttar Pradesh. In the General Elections 2009, he was elected as a member of the Lok Sabha for the first time, defeating Chandradeo Prasad Rajbhar of Samajwadi Party as a candidate of Bahujan Samaj Party from Ghoshi Lok Sabha constituency. In 2015, he joined Bharatiya Janata Party, and fought 2017 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election from Madhuban Vidhansabha. After election he became Minister of Forest, Environment and Zoological Garden in Government of Uttar Pradesh. On 12 January 2022, he resigned from BJP and its ministry as he was well aware that he wouldn't get ticket from BJP to fight election due to his non-performance. He joined Samajwadi Party. On 15 July 2023, he resigned from the post of MLA and left the Samajwadi Party and again joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. in September 2023, he again contested as a BJP candidate from Ghosi (which fell vacant after his resignation) but lost the by-election by a huge margin of 42,759 votes. Samajwadi Party candidate Sudhakar Singh defeated him.

## Posts held

* 1996-2000 Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha from Samajwadi Party
** 1998-1999 Member, Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas
** 1998-2001 Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Coal
* 2000-2006 Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha (2nd term) from Samajwadi Party
** 2000-2004 Member, Committee on Energy
** 2002-2004 Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Coal and Mines
** 2004-2005 Member, Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture
** 2004 Member, Committee on Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (Rajya Sabha)
** 2004 Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Defence
** 2005 Member, Committee on Energy
* 2009-2014 Member of Parliament in 15th Lok Sabha from Bahujan Samaj Party
** Leader, Bahujan Samaj Parliamentary Party, Lok Sabha
** 2009 Member, Business Advisory Committee
** 2009 Member, Committee on Installation of Portraits/Statues of National Leaders and Parliamentarians in Parliament House Complex
** 2009 Chairman, Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment
** 2009 Member, Committee on Security in Parliament Complex
** 2009 Member, Committee on Government Assurances
** 2009 Member, General Purposes Committee
** 2009 Member, Joint Committee on Office of Profit
* 2017-2022 MLA in 17th Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh from Bhartiya Janata Party
** 2017-2022 Minister of Forest and Environment in Yogi Adityanath ministry
* 2022-July 2023 MLA in 18th Uttar Pradesh Assembly from Samajwadi Party
* July 2023 Resigned from post of MLA and left Samajwadi Party and Joined Bharatiya Janata Party