{{Short description|Indian politician}} {{Use Indian English|date=September 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Rajesh Tripathi | image = | alt = | caption = | office1 = Member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly | constituency1 = Chillupar | term_start1 = March 2022 | term_end1 = | predecessor1 = Vinay Shankar Tiwari | successor1 = | constituency2 = Chillupar | term_start2 = May 2007 | term_end2 = March 2017 | predecessor2 = Hari Shankar Tiwari | successor2 = Vinay Shankar Tiwari | birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|52|2017|05}}<ref name="MyNeta"/> | birth_place = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | birth_name = | spouse = | children = | father = | relatives = | party = Bharatiya Janata Party | alma_mater = Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University, 1985 | occupation = | profession = | order = | education = | relations = }} '''Rajesh Tripathi''' is an Indian politician and a member of 18th Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh representing Chillupar. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party,<ref name="MyNeta"/><ref name="Election2022"/> and had represented the Chillupar constituency as a member of the 15th and 16th Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh.<ref name=EL2007/><ref name=EL2012/> He is also known as '''Muktpath Wale Baba''' and has also served as a minister in the state government.<ref>{{cite news |last=मिश्रा |first=विवेक |date=28 January 2022 |title=गोरखपुर विधानसभा सीटें: योगी के गढ़ में BJP ने दो विधायकों का टिकट काटा, देखिए 6 सीटों पर उम्मीदवारों की सूची |url=https://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/elections/assembly-elections/uttar-pradesh/news/bjp-cut-tickets-of-two-mlas-in-yogi-adityanaths-stronghold-see-candidate-list-on-6-seats/articleshow/89186758.cms |work=Navbharat Times |language=hi |access-date=2 September 2025}}</ref>
==Personal life== Tripathi was born to Shivakant Tripathi and hails from Chillupar in Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh. He did his graduation from Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University in 1985.<ref name="MyNeta">{{cite web |title=Rajesh Tripathi(Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP)):Constituency- Chillupar (Gorakhpur) - Affidavit Information of Candidate |url=https://myneta.info/uttarpradesh2017/candidate.php?candidate_id=4498 |website=myneta.info |access-date=2 September 2025}}</ref>
==Political career== Tripathi defeated strongman Harishankar Tiwari in 2007 in the Uttar Pradesh assembly election, and repeated it again in 2012, becoming a member of the 15th and 16th Legislative Assemblies from Chillupar.<ref>{{cite news |title=पूर्वांचल के बाहुबली हरिशंकर तिवारी को हराने वाले मुक्तिपथ वाले बाबा को BJP ने चिल्लूपार से बनाया प्रत्याशी, जानें कौन हैं राजेश त्रिपाठी |url=https://zeenews.india.com/hindi/india/up-uttarakhand/uttar-pradesh/rajesh-tripathi-defeated-purvanchal-bahubali-harishankar-tiwari-in-first-time-was-nominated-by-bjp-spup/1082500 |access-date=10 March 2022 |work=Zee News |date=28 January 2022 |language=hi}}</ref><ref name=EL2007>{{cite news|title= 2007 Election Results|publisher=Election Commission of India |access-date=10 March 2022|url=https://old.eci.gov.in/files/file/3261-uttar-pradesh-2007/}}</ref><ref name=EL2012>{{cite news|title= 2012 Election Results|publisher=Election Commission of India |access-date=10 March 2022|url=https://old.eci.gov.in/files/file/3262-uttar-pradesh-2012/}}</ref> In the 2017 election, Tripathi lost to Vinay Shankar Tiwari, son of Harishankar Tiwari.<ref name=EL2017>{{cite news|title= 2017 Election Results|publisher=Election Commission of India |access-date=10 March 2022|url=https://old.eci.gov.in/files/file/3471-uttar-pradesh-general-legislative-election-2017/}}</ref>
In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, Tripathi defeated the junior Tiwari as a Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Chillupar.<ref name="MyNeta"/><ref name="Election2022">{{cite news |title=Vinay Shankar Election Result 2022 LIVE Updates: Vinay Shankar of SP loses from Chillupar seat |url=https://www.news18.com/news/politics/vinay-shankar-election-result-2022-live-updates-4855829.html |work=News18 |date=10 March 2022 |access-date=10 March 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
He served as the Minister for Homoeopathy and Religious Endowment in the Government of Uttar Pradesh, under the leadership of the Bahujan Samaj Party.<ref>{{cite news |title=Day after,Tripathi says wont quit |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/day-after-tripathi-says-won-t-quit/ |work=Indian Express |date=17 December 2010 |access-date=2 September 2025}}</ref>
== Controversies == In 2009, a woman accused Tripathi of stealing her child from a hospital in 2004. Tripathi denied the allegation, claiming that the child had been found abandoned and was formally handed over to him by a village council, and expressed willingness to undergo a DNA test.<ref>{{cite news |title=Minister accused of child-lifting agrees to DNA test |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/lucknow/minister-accused-of-child-lifting-agrees-to-dna-test/story-c7aZccdDCuRRquDli0smfO.html |work=Hindustan Times |agency=IANS |date=16 June 2009 |access-date=2 September 2025}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tripathi, Rajesh}} Category:1960s births Category:Living people Category:Uttar Pradesh MLAs 2022–2027 Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Uttar Pradesh Category:Uttar Pradesh MLAs 2007–2012 Category:Uttar Pradesh MLAs 2012–2017