{{Short description|Indian politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}} <!-- Deleted image removed: frame|Sompal --> {{Infobox officeholder | name = Sompal Shastri | native_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1942|01|20|df=y}} | birth_place = Uttar Pradesh, India | occupation = Politician | party = Rashtriya Lok Dal (Formerly: BJP, SP, INC, Janata Dal) | education = B.A. (Hons.) Economics, M.A. (Economics), LL.B. | alma_mater = University of Delhi | father = Raghubir Singh Shastri | office1 = Union Minister of State for Agriculture | prime_minister1 = Atal Bihari Vajpayee | predecessor1 = Samudrala Venugopal Chary | successor1 = Hukmdev Narayan Yadav | term_start1 = 19 March 1998 | term_end1 = 13 October 1999 | office2 = Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | constituency2 = Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh | term_start2 = 10 March 1998 | term_end2 = 26 April 1999 | predecessor2 = Chaudhary Ajit Singh | successor2 = Chaudhary Ajit Singh | office3 = | office4 = | children = Sandeep Shastri<ref name="Former BJP leader Sandeep Shastri joins Aam Aadmi Party">{{cite news |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |title=Former BJP leader Sandeep Shastri joins Aam Aadmi Party |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india-former-bjp-leader-sandeep-shastri-joins-aam-aadmi-party-466838 |access-date=28 June 2025 |publisher=India TV News |date=30 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250628060153/https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india-former-bjp-leader-sandeep-shastri-joins-aam-aadmi-party-466838 |archive-date=28 June 2025 |language=en}}</ref> }}
'''Sompal Shastri''' or '''Sompal Singh Shastri''' (born 20 January 1942) is an Indian politician, came from Farmer-Jat family and began his career as a politician of Rashtriya Lok Dal from Uttar Pradesh India. He has been Minister for Agriculture for the national government and a member of the Planning Commission.<ref>[http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/03/03/stories/2004030300160800.htm National Commission on Farmers, at last], by Sharad Joshi.</ref> He is Vice Chairman, State Planning Board, Madhya Pradesh.
== Career == Sompal won in 1998 defeating Rashtriya Lok Dal's chief Chaudhary Ajit Singh from Baghpat.<ref name="In Baghpat, NDA turns non-family ticket into a plus">{{cite news |title=In Baghpat, NDA turns non-family ticket into a plus |url=https://indianexpress.com/elections/in-baghpat-nda-turns-non-family-ticket-into-a-plus-9291375/ |access-date=28 June 2025 |publisher=The Indian Express |date=26 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250628060430/https://indianexpress.com/elections/in-baghpat-nda-turns-non-family-ticket-into-a-plus-9291375/ |archive-date=28 June 2025 |language=en}}</ref> But lost to Chaudhary Ajit Singh in 1999 by a margin of over 1.54 lakh votes.
Sompal's father was Raghubir Singh Shastri, and represented Baghpat in the fourth Lok Sabha.<ref>[http://www.expressindia.com/ie/daily/19980215/04650694.html Sompal strives to break a Baghpat tradition].</ref> He graduated from Boys High School in Allahabad now Prayagraj, 1957; B.A. Hons. (Economics), Delhi University, 1961; M.A. (Economics), Delhi University, 1964; LL.B., Delhi University, 1967.
In September 2013, Sompal Shastri refused to contest Lok Sabha polls under the Samajwadi Party banner.<ref name="Samajwadi Party's minority affair set for collapse">{{cite news |title=Samajwadi Party's minority affair set for collapse |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/elections/story/samajwadi-party-muslim-votebank-akhilesh-mulayam-yadav-2014-lok-sabha-elections-218272-2013-11-20 |access-date=28 June 2025 |publisher=India Today |date=21 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250628055949/https://www.indiatoday.in/elections/story/samajwadi-party-muslim-votebank-akhilesh-mulayam-yadav-2014-lok-sabha-elections-218272-2013-11-20 |archive-date=28 June 2025 |language=en}}</ref> In a letter written to party president Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mr. Shastri said he was not in a position to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Baghpat after the violence in which over 38 people were killed. The incidents of communal violence in Muzaffarnagar, Shamli and Baghpat were unfortunate, he said.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/In-wake-of-Muzaffarnagar-riots-Sompal-Shastri-refuses-to-be-SP-candidate/articleshow/22605825.cms|title = In wake of Muzaffarnagar riots, Sompal Shastri refuses to be SP candidate |website = The Times of India}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * [http://www.india-today.com/itoday/16031998/win13.html India Today Cover story Winners of 1998]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shastri, Sompal}} Category:People from Bagpat district Category:People from Haridwar Category:1942 births Category:Living people Category:India MPs 1998–1999 Category:Agriculture ministers of India Category:Delhi University alumni Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Uttar Pradesh Category:Lok Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh Category:Rajya Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh Category:Samajwadi Party politicians from Uttar Pradesh Category:Janata Dal politicians Category:Rashtriya Janata Dal politicians Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Uttar Pradesh