{{short description|Indian politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Use Indian English|date=March 2019}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Ram Govind Chaudhary | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1946|07|09|df=y}} | birth_place = Ballia, United Provinces, British India | constituency4 = Bansdih, Ballia | constituency11 = Chilkahar, Ballia | office2 = Member of Legislative Assembly of <br/> Bansdih | term_start2 = March 2012 | term_end2 = March 2022 | predecessor2 = Shiv Shankar | successor2 = Ketaki Singh | term_start4 = February 2002 | term_end4 = May 2007 | predecessor4 = Bacha Pathak | successor4 = Shiv Shankar | office = Leader of the Opposition,<br/> 17th Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh | term_start = 27 March 2017 | term_end = 10 March 2022 | predecessor = Gaya Charan Dinkar | successor = Akhilesh Yadav | 1blankname = Chief Minister | 1namedata = Yogi Adityanath | office6 = Ministry of Basic Education, Child Development and Nutrition<br/>Government of Uttar Pradesh | term_start6 = May 2012 | term_end6 = March 2017 | 1blankname6 = Chief Minister | 1namedata6 = Akhilesh Yadav | party = Samajwadi Party | office7 = Member of Legislative Assembly of<br/> Chilkahar | term_start7 = June 1991 | term_end7 = December 1992 | predecessor7 = | successor7 = Sangram Singh Yadav | term_start8 = December 1989 | term_end8 = April 1991 | predecessor8 = | successor8 = | term_start9 = March 1985 | term_end9 = November 1989 | predecessor9 = | successor9 = | term_start10 = June 1980 | term_end10 = March 1985 | predecessor10 = | successor10 = | term_start11 = June 1977 | term_end11 = February 1980 | predecessor11 = Jagannath Chaudhary | successor11 = | alma_mater = Gorakhpur University, University of Lucknow | profession = Politician, advocate | spouse = Kalawati Devi | children = 1 }}
'''Ram Govind Chaudhary''' (born 9 July 1946) is one of the prominent socialist leaders of India who has served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly from 2017 to 2022.<ref name="Patrika">{{cite news |url=https://www.patrika.com/lucknow-news/ram-govind-chaudhary-leader-samajwadi-party-in-up-assembly-hindi-news-1539093/ |title=रामगोविंद चौधरी बने नेता विरोधी दल |trans-title=Ram Govind Chaudhary becomes leader of opposition |publisher=Patrika News |language=hi |access-date=6 May 2018 |archive-date=7 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507003332/https://www.patrika.com/lucknow-news/ram-govind-chaudhary-leader-samajwadi-party-in-up-assembly-hindi-news-1539093/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He was in charge of Basic Education and Child Nutrition and Development Ministries in previous Samajwadi Party Government of Uttar Pradesh led by Akhilesh Yadav.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bed.up.nic.in/contact.htm |title=Primary Education Department |publisher=Bed.up.nic.in |date=9 October 2013 |access-date=18 February 2014 |archive-date=21 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221015926/http://bed.up.nic.in/contact.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> He is Member of Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh from the Bansdih assembly seat, Ballia.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.elections.in/uttar-pradesh/assembly-constituencies/bansdih.html |title=Bansdih Election Results 2017 |access-date=6 May 2018 |archive-date=7 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507003333/http://www.elections.in/uttar-pradesh/assembly-constituencies/bansdih.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
He had closely worked with Jayaprakash Narayan and Chandra Shekhar. He is one of the close associates of Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav.<ref name="Patrika"/>
==Early life and education== Chaudhary was born on 9 July 1946 in Gosaipur, Ballia, Uttar Pradesh to Dwarika Choudhary.<ref name="MyNeta2022">{{cite web |title=Ram Govind(Samajwadi Party(SP)):Constituency- BANSDIH(BALIA) - Affidavit Information of Candidate: |url=https://myneta.info/uttarpradesh2022/candidate.php?candidate_id=3783 |website=myneta.info |access-date=22 March 2022}}</ref><ref name="UPLA"/> In 1974, he got Bachelor of Arts degree from Gorakhpur University, and in 1982, he received a degree in LLB from Lucknow University.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://myneta.info/uttarpradesh2017/candidate.php?candidate_id=5178|title=Candidate affidavit|website=myneta.info|access-date=24 December 2018}}</ref><ref name="UPLA">{{Cite web|url=http://uplegisassembly.gov.in/LeaderofOpposition/present_LeaderofOpposition_en_.aspx#/LeaderOfOpposition|title=Member Profile|website=uplegisassembly.gov.in|access-date=24 December 2018}}</ref>
==Political career== Chaudhary has been MLA for eight terms. From 1977 to 1992 he represented Chilkahar constituency in Ballia of Uttar Pradesh. Since 2002, he represented Bansdih (Assembly constituency) in Ballia as a member of Samajwadi Party. He was also Minister of Horticulture and Food Processing in Mulayam Singh Yadav cabinet (1990–91) and Minister of Child Development and Nutrition, Basic Education in Mulayam Singh Yadav cabinet (2003–07) and Akhilesh Yadav cabinet (2012–17).<ref name="UPLA"/>
Since March 2017, he serves as Leader of opposition in Seventeenth Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh, as a leader of Samajwadi Party.<ref name="UPLA"/>
==Posts held== * 1977-1980 ** Member, 7th Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh (First Term)<ref name="1977 Election Results">{{cite news|title=1977 Election Results|publisher=Election Commission of India website|access-date=24 December 2018|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1977/Statistical%20Report%20Uttar%20Pradesh%201977.pdf|archive-date=7 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101007053924/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1977/Statistical%20Report%20Uttar%20Pradesh%201977.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> **Member, Estimate Committee *1980-1985 ** Member, 8th Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh (Second Term)<ref name="1980 Election Results">{{cite news|title=1980 Election Results|publisher=Election Commission of India website|access-date=24 December 2018|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1980/Statistical%20Report%20Uttar%20Pradesh%201980.pdf|archive-date=27 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227033419/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1980/Statistical%20Report%20Uttar%20Pradesh%201980.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> *1985-1989 **Member, 9th Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh (Third Term)<ref name="1985 Election Results">{{cite news|title=1985 Election Results|publisher=Election Commission of India website|access-date=24 December 2018|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1985/Statistical%20Report%20Uttar%20Pradesh%201985.pdf|archive-date=27 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130127183411/https://eci.gov.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1985/Statistical%20Report%20Uttar%20Pradesh%201985.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> **Whip, Janata Party Legislature Party ** Member, Joint Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes and Denotified Tribes *1989-1991 **Member, 10th Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh (Fourth Term)<ref name="1989 Election Results">{{cite news|title=1989 Election Results|publisher=Election Commission of India website|access-date=24 December 2018|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1989/Statistical%20Report_%20UP_1989.pdf|archive-date=6 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101006085257/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1989/Statistical%20Report_%20UP_1989.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> ** Minister, Horticulture and Food Processing (Mulayam Singh Yadav Cabinet) **Member, Joint Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes Scheduled Tribes and Denotified Tribes **Member, Question & Reference Committee *1991-1992 **Member, 11th Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh (Fifth Term)<ref name="1991 Election Results">{{cite news|title=1991 Election Results|publisher=Election Commission of India website|access-date=24 December 2018|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1991/Stat_Rep_UP_91.pdf|archive-date=6 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101006055723/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1991/Stat_Rep_UP_91.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> *2002-2007 **Member, 14th Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh (Sixth Term)<ref name="2002 Election Results">{{cite news|title=2002 Election Results|publisher=Election Commission of India website|access-date=24 December 2018|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_2002/Stat_rep_UP_2002.pdf|archive-date=13 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180713105915/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_2002/Stat_rep_UP_2002.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> **Minister, Child Development and Nutrition (Mulayam Singh Yadav Cabinet) **Member, Joint Committee on Public Undertakings and Corporations *2012-2017 **Member, 16th Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh (Seventh Term)<ref name="2012 Election Results">{{cite news|title=2012 Election Results|publisher=Election Commission of India website|access-date=24 December 2018|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/AE2012/Stats_Report_UP2012.pdf|archive-date=8 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130508084526/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/AE2012/Stats_Report_UP2012.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> **Minister, Child Development and Nutrition, Basic Education, Social Welfare and Panchayati Raj (Akhilesh Yadav Cabinet) *2017-2022 **Member, 17th Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh (Eighth Term)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://eci.nic.in/eci_main/archiveofge2017/UP/10.Detailed%20Results.pdf|title=Uttar Pradesh 2017 Result|website=Election Commission of India|access-date=24 December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Nishad heaps praise on Modi for NDA's win in UP elections |url=https://www.dailypioneer.com/2022/state-editions/nishad-heaps-praise--on-modi-for-nda---s--win-in-up-elections.html |access-date=13 March 2022 |work=The Pioneer |date=13 March 2022 |language=en}}</ref> **Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh.
==Personal life== He is married to Kalawati Devi. They have a son.<ref name="UPLA"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chaudhary, Ram Govind}} Category:Living people Category:Samajwadi Party politicians from Uttar Pradesh Category:Uttar Pradesh MLAs 2017–2022 Category:1953 births Category:Leaders of the opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly Category:University of Lucknow alumni Category:Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University alumni Category:Samajwadi Janata Party politicians Category:Janata Dal politicians Category:Jharkhand Party politicians