Ram Govind Chaudhary

Ram Govind Chaudhary
Leader of the Opposition,
17th Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh
In office
27 March 2017 – 10 March 2022
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath
Preceded by Gaya Charan Dinkar
Succeeded by Akhilesh Yadav
Member of Legislative Assembly of
Bansdih
In office
March 2017 – March 2022
Succeeded by Ketaki Singh
In office
March 2012 – March 2017
Preceded by Shiv Shankar
In office
February 2002 – May 2007
Preceded by Bacha Pathak
Succeeded by Shiv Shankar
Constituency Bansdih, Ballia
Ministry of Basic Education, Child Development and Nutrition
Government of Uttar Pradesh
In office
May 2012 – March 2017
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav
Member of Legislative Assembly of
Chilkahar
In office
June 1991 – December 1992
Succeeded by Sangram Singh Yadav
In office
December 1989 – April 1991
In office
March 1985 – November 1989
In office
June 1980 – March 1985
In office
June 1977 – February 1980
Preceded by Jagannath Chaudhary
Constituency Chilkahar, Ballia
Personal details
Born 9 July 1946
Ballia, United Provinces, British India
Political party Samajwadi Party
Spouse Kalawati Devi
Children 1
Residence(s) Lucknow and Ballia
Alma mater Gorakhpur University, University of Lucknow
Profession Politician, advocate

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. 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. He is Member of Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh from the Bansdih assembly seat, Ballia.

He had closely worked with Jayaprakash Narayan and Chandra Shekhar. He is one of the close associates of Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Early life and education

Chaudhary was born on 9 July 1946 in Gosaipur, Ballia, Uttar Pradesh to Dwarika Choudhary. In 1974, he got Bachelor of Arts degree from Gorakhpur University, and in 1982, he received a degree in LLB from Lucknow University.

Political career

Chaudhary has been MLA for eight terms. 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).

Since March 2017, he serves as Leader of opposition in Seventeenth Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh, as a leader of Samajwadi Party.

Posts held

Personal life

He is married to Kalawati Devi. They have a son.