Ravindra Choubey

Ravindra Choubey (born 28 May 1957) is an Indian politician and long-serving member of the Indian National Congress, representing the Saja constituency in Chhattisgarh as a multiple-term Member of the Legislative Assembly.^[1][2] He first won election to the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly from Saja in 1985 at age 28, securing re-elections in 1990, 1993, 1998, and 2003 following Chhattisgarh's formation as a state in 2000.^[3][1] Choubey holds a B.Sc. and L.L.B., having completed his studies at Pandit Ravishankar University in Raipur.^[1] In the Congress-led Government of Chhattisgarh under Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, he served as Cabinet Minister for Agriculture and Parliamentary Affairs, overseeing policies in these domains until the 2023 assembly elections.^[2][4] He has also acted as Leader of the Opposition in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly, critiquing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on governance and developmental issues.^[1][2] A veteran of Chhattisgarh politics active prior to the state's creation from Madhya Pradesh, Choubey remains a key Congress figure in Bemetara district, contesting the 2023 Saja seat amid the party's statewide push against the incumbent BJP government.^[3][5] His career emphasizes agricultural advocacy, reflecting his rural constituency base and ministerial portfolio.^[3]

Early life and education

Birth and family background

Ravindra Choubey was born on 28 May 1957 in Mohabhatha village, Bemetara district (then part of Madhya Pradesh, now Chhattisgarh).^[3][1] He is the son of Devi Prasad Choubey and Kumari Devi.^[6][5] Choubey is married and has two children.^[1]

Academic qualifications

Ravindra Choubey earned a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree from Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University in Raipur during the 1977–78 academic year.^[6] He subsequently obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from Surana College in Durg in 1982.^[5][6] These qualifications are documented in his official profile on the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly website and corroborated by self-declared details in election affidavits submitted to the Election Commission of India.^[1] No further advanced degrees or academic distinctions are recorded in available public records.^[5]

Political career

Entry into politics and early activism

Choubey's entry into politics began during his student years, where he engaged in organizational roles within Congress-affiliated bodies. In 1977, he was elected president of the Students’ Union at Government Arts and Science College in Durg, serving through 1978, and simultaneously became district president of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) for the Durg district unit, a position he held until 1980.^[3] He further advanced in student leadership in 1979, becoming president of the Students’ Union at Ravi Shankar University in Raipur for the 1979–1980 term.^[3] These roles marked his initial activism focused on youth mobilization within the Indian National Congress ecosystem. Following his studies, Choubey transitioned to broader political and cooperative engagements in the early 1980s. From 1980 to 1990, he served as general secretary and later president of the Youth Congress in Durg district, expanding his influence in party grassroots activities.^[3] In 1982, he was appointed director of the State Co-operative Land Development Bank in Durg, holding the post until 1984, which involved local economic development initiatives.^[3] By 1984, he assumed multiple local governance positions, including sarpanch of Gram Panchayat Mohgaon, president of Janpad Panchayat Saja, and the inaugural chairman of Zilla Panchayat Durg, demonstrating early involvement in rural administration and community service.^[3] Choubey's formal electoral debut occurred in the 1985 Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections, where, at age 28, he contested and won the Saja constituency on an Indian National Congress ticket.^[1] He secured 29,836 votes, defeating Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Janardan Singh, who received 6,001 votes, by a margin of 23,835 votes.^[3] This victory established him as a key Congress figure in the undivided Madhya Pradesh's Durg region, building on his prior activism to launch a legislative career that continued through subsequent terms in 1990, 1993, 1998, and 2003.^[1]

Service in Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly

Ravindra Choubey was first elected to the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly from the Saja constituency in 1985, defeating Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Janardan Singh by 23,835 votes.^[3] He represented the Indian National Congress and served in this role until the end of the term in 1990.^[1] In the 1990 Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, Choubey secured re-election from Saja for a second consecutive term, defeating independent candidate Thakurdas Rathi.^[3] This term lasted until 1993.^[1] He continued his legislative service through the 1993 election, winning a third term from the same seat against Bharatiya Janata Party's Dr. R. D. Patel by approximately 7,000 votes, and served until 1998.^[3][1] Choubey won a fourth term in the 1998 election from Saja, defeating Dr. R. D. Patel by 24,000 votes.^[3] This term extended into the post-bifurcation period following Chhattisgarh's formation on November 1, 2000, but his initial service was under the Madhya Pradesh assembly structure.^[1] During his tenure in the Madhya Pradesh government under Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh, he held ministerial positions, including Minister of State (independent charge) for Higher Education in 1995, Minister for School Education in 1997, and Cabinet Minister for General Administration, Public Relations, and Public Grievance Redressal in 1998.^[3][4]

Service in Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly

Ravindra Choubey was first elected to the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly in the 2008 state elections from the Saja constituency in Bemetara district, securing victory as a candidate of the Indian National Congress (INC).^[2][5] During the third legislative assembly (2008–2013), in which the INC formed the opposition, Choubey was appointed Leader of the Opposition, a position reflecting his seniority within the party at the time.^[1] He contested the 2013 assembly elections from the same constituency but was unsuccessful, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate prevailing amid the BJP's statewide victory.^[2] Choubey returned to the assembly in the 2018 elections, winning Saja again as the INC secured a majority under Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, allowing him to serve in the fifth legislative assembly (2018–2023).^[2][5] In the 2023 assembly elections, Choubey sought re-election from Saja but lost to BJP candidate Ishwar Sahu, who received 101,789 votes (48.55% of the total), as the BJP swept the state to form the government.^[7][8] Throughout his terms, Choubey's legislative service focused on regional issues in Saja, a rural constituency, though specific bills sponsored or debates led by him are documented primarily through assembly records rather than independent analyses.^[3]

Ministerial roles and leadership positions

Ravindra Choubey served as a cabinet minister in the Madhya Pradesh government under Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh prior to Chhattisgarh's formation in 2000.^[2] In the inaugural Chhattisgarh government led by Chief Minister Ajit Jogi, Choubey was appointed Minister of Law, serving from December 23, 2000, to December 13, 2003.^[9] During the Bharatiya Janata Party's tenure from 2003 to 2018, he held the position of Leader of the Opposition in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly from 2009 to 2013.^[4] Following the Indian National Congress's victory in the 2018 state elections, Choubey was inducted into Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel's cabinet, initially managing portfolios including Parliamentary Affairs, Agriculture, and Law and Legislative Affairs.^{[3] [2]} He also oversaw Animal Husbandry during this period.^[10] On July 21, 2022, after T. S. Singh Deo's resignation, Choubey received the additional responsibilities of Minister of Panchayat and Rural Development, while retaining his prior portfolios.^{[11] [12]} Over his ministerial career, he has intermittently handled Irrigation and Water Resources.^[13]

Electoral history

Elections prior to Chhattisgarh state formation

Ravindra Choubey first entered the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly by winning the Saja constituency in the 1990 state assembly elections as a candidate of the Indian National Congress. He secured victory with 36,223 votes, defeating independent candidate Thakur Das Rathi.^[14] This win marked the beginning of his representation of the Saja area, which later became part of Chhattisgarh upon its formation in 2000.^[15] In the 1993 Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections, Choubey retained the Saja seat for the Indian National Congress, prevailing in a constituency with 114,211 electors. His success continued the Congress dominance in the region during that period.^[16] Choubey won re-election from Saja in the 1998 Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections, again as an Indian National Congress candidate, in a constituency with 124,083 electors. He defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate, securing 52,611 votes.^[16] These victories established Saja as a Congress stronghold under Choubey's representation prior to the bifurcation of Madhya Pradesh.^[17] Throughout these elections, Choubey's consistent wins reflected strong local support for the Congress party in the Saja area, which encompasses parts of present-day Bemetara district. No records indicate losses or contests in other constituencies during this pre-2000 period.^[3]

Chhattisgarh Assembly elections

Ravindra Choubey, representing the Indian National Congress (INC), has primarily contested elections from the Saja Assembly constituency in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly since the state's inaugural polls in 2003. Saja, located in Bemetara district, has been a competitive seat with alternating victories between INC and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates. Choubey secured victories in the 2003, 2008, and 2018 elections, establishing himself as a dominant figure in the constituency during periods of Congress governance, but faced defeats in 2013 and 2023 amid BJP surges.^[18][19][20] In the 2003 Chhattisgarh Assembly election, held on December 1 with results declared on December 4, Choubey won the Saja seat by securing 108,141 votes out of 143,704 polled, defeating his nearest rival from the BJP. This victory contributed to INC's strong performance, forming the first state government under Ajit Jogi.^[18] He retained the seat in the 2008 election, defeating BJP's Shyam Sunder Sahu by a margin of approximately 12,000 votes, as INC swept back to power under Bhupesh Baghel's eventual leadership in later terms.^[13] Choubey's incumbency ended in the 2013 election, conducted in two phases on November 11 and 19 with results on December 8, where he lost to BJP's Labhchand Bafna by 9,642 votes (Bafna received 84,800 votes to Choubey's 75,158). The defeat aligned with BJP's statewide majority under Raman Singh, amid voter dissatisfaction with INC's governance.^[19][21] He reclaimed the seat in 2018, defeating Bafna by 4,824 votes (Choubey: 89,095 votes; Bafna: 84,271), riding INC's anti-incumbency wave against the BJP that installed Bhupesh Baghel as chief minister.^[20] The 2023 election, held in two phases on November 7 and 17 with results on December 3, marked another loss for Choubey, as BJP's Ishwar Sahu won by 5,196 votes (Sahu: 101,789 total votes at 48.55%; Choubey trailed as runner-up). This outcome reflected BJP's return to power statewide, influenced by factors including local grievances over law and order, such as Sahu's personal campaign tied to his son's prior lynching incident. Voter turnout in Saja was around 80%, consistent with state averages.^[7][22][23]

Policy positions and controversies

Stances on national issues

Choubey has opposed the Indian central government's three farm laws enacted in September 2020, viewing them as detrimental to farmers' interests and infringing on state rights. As Chhattisgarh's Agriculture Minister, he announced that the state government would challenge the laws in the Supreme Court and issue notifications to nullify their effects, particularly to safeguard paddy procurement processes crucial to local agriculture.^[24] He emphasized that the legislation risked exploiting farmers through potential corporate influence and external market pressures, prompting the state to table its own amendments to the Chhattisgarh Agricultural Produce Market Act, 1972, for protecting smallholders from such outcomes.^[25][26] On internal security, Choubey has critiqued deficiencies in countering the Naxalite-Maoist insurgency, a persistent national challenge concentrated in regions like Chhattisgarh's Bastar. In July 2013, as Leader of the Opposition, he faulted the BJP-led state government for lacking any coherent policy to combat Naxals over the prior decade, linking this to vulnerabilities exploited in attacks such as the Darbha valley incident that killed 28 Congress workers.^[27] By December 2020, in his ministerial role, he asserted that Naxal operations had been restricted to isolated pockets in Bastar due to sustained state efforts, reflecting a stance favoring containment through targeted operations while highlighting governance lapses under opposing administrations.^[28]

Criticisms of governance and party decisions

Choubey's tenure as Panchayat and Rural Development Minister from July 2022 drew allegations of irregularities in the implementation of District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds, particularly in Kondagaon district. In March 2023, Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee president Mohan Markam accused local authorities of misappropriating these funds meant for mining-affected communities, prompting Choubey to commit to an investigation by a state-level officer.^[29][30] The Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government, with Choubey as a senior cabinet member handling Parliamentary Affairs and Agriculture alongside rural development, faced opposition charges of systemic governance lapses, including inadequate rural infrastructure delivery and financial mismanagement. In July 2023, the BJP moved a no-confidence motion citing 109 specific failures, such as delays in scheme execution and rising debt, during which Choubey and other ministers defended the administration amid heated assembly debates.^[31] Law and order under the Congress regime was particularly scrutinized following the June 2023 communal clashes in Bemetara district, which resulted in the mob lynching of 14-year-old Bhuneshwar Sahu amid tensions over a social media post. Critics, including BJP leaders, blamed the government for failing to prevent escalation and for a perceived lenient initial police probe that did not satisfy the victim's family, leading to demands for a CBI inquiry only fulfilled after the BJP assumed power in December 2023.^[32][33] The incident fueled anti-incumbency, with BJP fielding Ishwar Sahu, the victim's father, against Choubey in the Saja constituency; Sahu won by 5,527 votes in the November 2023 elections, ending Choubey's seven-term hold.^[34] Regarding party decisions, Choubey himself voiced internal dissent in August 2025, criticizing Chhattisgarh Congress leadership for lacking direction and introspection following the 2023 poll debacle, remarks that intensified debates on organizational weaknesses and prompted former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel to reject claims of indiscipline.^[35][36] This reflected broader post-election recriminations within the party over candidate selection, alliance strategies, and unaddressed voter grievances like tribal underdevelopment.^[37]

Personal life

Family and professional background

Ravindra Choubey was born on 28 May 1957 as the son of Devi Prasad Choubey.^[5][1] He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University in Raipur during 1977–78 and a Bachelor of Laws degree from Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar University in Agra in 1980.^[6][1] Prior to entering formal politics, Choubey was active in student leadership, serving as president of the Government Arts and Science College Student Union in Durg from 1977 to 1980.^[1] His early involvement in organizational roles laid the groundwork for his subsequent political career in the region that became Chhattisgarh. Choubey is married and has two children.^[1]