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Basic
Known for the simplicity and austerity of his lifestyle as a bachelor, Bhagat Singh Koshiyari was the first Chief Minister of Uttrakhand from Kumaon, he was born in the hilly town of Almora, Mohargari (Paalnadhura) on 17th June, 1942 and had his early education in the town itself before going on to complete his masters in English literature from Agra University in the year 1964.
Foray into Public Domain
Bhagat Singh Koshiyari learnt his first lessons in the field of public service when he joined the RSS as an active member after completing his studies and serving as a teacher for a brief period in Etah. His incarceration during the Emergency only strengthened his ideology and belief and earned him the tag of a hard-line RSS-man.
Political Career
Presently, he is the President of the state unit of BJP and a member of the Vidhan Sabha. Earlier, he has served as Minister for Energy, Irrigation, Law, and Legislative Affairs in the first elected government of the state. Later, he rose to the post of Chief Minister becoming only the 2nd person, after the first Chief Minister Nityanand Swami, to have taken the oath of Chief Minister of the hill-state.
He took active part in the agitation for a separate state and earned a good reputation among the people of the state through his sheer hard-work and dedication. Bhagat Singh Koshiyari was a front-runner for the post of the Chief Minister after the BJP’s victory in the 2007 elections but adhered, gracefully, to the part’s decision to give the post to B.C. Khanduri, another towering figure in the state’s politics.
Other activities
Founder editor of the weekly 'Parvatiya Piyush', he has literary inclinations too. He has authored many books on the agitation for separate statehood for the region. Immensely popular among the people for his routine treks to the remotest of villages, he is very down-to-earth and friendly by nature. People of the state, in general, and of the Kumaon region, in particular, have huge expectations from him and, at the same time, have the faith that he’ll fulfill all their dreams.
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