UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev makes it to Yogi 2.0 too

An influential Other Backward Class leader and currently the state Bharatiya Janata Party president, Swatantra Dev Singh was named Congress Singh by his parents.

IMAGE: Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh during a meeting with Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow, March 24, 2022. Photograph: ANI Photo

Born on February 13, 1964 in a village of Mirzapur district, he changed his name after joining the BJP.

Singh, who belongs to the backward Kurmi caste and played a crucial role in paving the way for the party's second consecutive win in the UP Assembly polls, was elevated to the post of the state BJP chief in 2019.

Singh had started his career as a reporter for a Hindi daily in 1986.

He was made a minister in the Yogi Adityanath-led previous government and earlier held various positions in the party, including that of its state vice-president and general secretary.

He also held the post of the the state president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha.

At present, Singh is a member of the state Legislative Council and had played a crucial role in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2014 and 2017 election rallies in UP.

Singh holds BSc degree from Bundelkhand University.