Gopal Rai

Gopal Rai (born May 10, 1975) is the Minister for Environment, Forest & Wildlife, Development and General Administration in Government of Delhi under the leadership of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. He is also social activist^[1] and a member of the Political Affairs Committee of the Aam Aadmi Party.^[2]

Gopal Rai
Rai during a press conference in 2020.
Cabinet	Kejriwal ministry - III
Cabinet Minister, Government of Delhi
Incumbent
Assumed office 14 February 2015
Lieutenant Governor	Najeeb Jung Anil Baijal Vinai Kumar Saxena
Chief Minister	Arvind Kejriwal
Ministry and Departments	Environment Forest Wildlife Development General Administration
Preceded by	President's Rule
In office 14 February 2015 – 14 June 2016
Lieutenant Governor	Najeeb Jung
Chief Minister	Arvind Kejriwal
Ministry and Departments	Transport
Preceded by	President's Rule
Succeeded by	Kailash Gahlot
Member of the Delhi Legislative Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office 14 February 2015
Preceded by	Naresh Gaur
Constituency	Babarpur
Personal details
Born	(1975-05-10) 10 May 1975 (age 49) Mau, Uttar Pradesh, India
Political party	Aam Aadmi Party
Alma mater	Lucknow University (MA)

Background and education

Gopal Rai is a Post-graduate in Sociology from Lucknow University, 1998.^[3] He began his career with the All India Students Association, the student wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, in Lucknow University in 1992.^[4] He is a member of the National Executive of the Aam Aadmi party.^[5]

Political career

Rai began his career with All India Students Association in Lucknow University in 1992.^[6] He is partially paralyzed as he was shot during his student days in Lucknow. He and two other members led the "mein bhi aam aadmi" campaign, which started on 10 January and continued till 26 January 2014, for handling fund collection, association, and management of other political groups.^[7]

Rai lost the election from the Babarpur constituency, got 25723 votes and stood in 3rd place in the 2013 Delhi Legislative Assembly election.^[8] He was elected as MLA from Babarpur constituency in the Delhi Legislative Election 2015 on 10th Feb. and got the ministry of Transport and Labour.

On 13 December 2013, the fourth day of Anna Hazare's indefinite hunger strike for passage of Jan Lokpal Bill in Ralegaon Siddhi, a verbal spat between VK Singh and Gopal Rai took place, forcing Anna to ask Rai to leave Ralegaon.^[9][10]

Cabinet Minister, Delhi

He is a cabinet minister in the Third Kejriwal ministry and holds the charge of below listed departments of the Government of Delhi.

• Development.
• General Administration.
• Environment.

Electoral performance

This section is transcluded from Babarpur Assembly constituency. (edit | history)

Delhi Assembly elections, 2013: Babarpur^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	BJP	Naresh Gaur	34,180	29.73	−5.37
	INC	Zakir Khan	29,673	25.81	2.05
	AAP	Gopal Rai	25,723	22.37
	PECP	Furkhan	10,017	8.71
	SP	Sunil Vasisht	5,924	5.15	+4.79
	BSP	Bhure Khan	5,019	4.37	−26.53
	Independent	Shagufta Rani	2,744	2.39
	CPI	Absaar Ahmed	794	0.69
	NOTA	None of the Above	460	0.40
Majority			4,507	3.92	−0.28
Turnout			1,14,978	65.89
	BJP hold		Swing	-5.37

Delhi Assembly elections, 2015: Babarpur

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	AAP	Gopal Rai	76,179	59.14	+36.77
	BJP	Naresh Gaur	40,908	31.76	+2.03
	INC	Zakir Khan	9,952	7.73	−18.08
	BSP	Mohd. Abdul Haq	765	0.59	−3.78
	NOTA	None of the Above	290	0.23	−0.17
Majority			35,271	27.38	+23.46
Turnout			1,28,870	66.99	+1.10
	AAP gain from BJP		Swing	+29.41

Delhi Assembly elections, 2020: Babarpur

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	AAP	Gopal Rai	84,776	59.39	+0.25
	BJP	Naresh Gaur	51,714	36.23	+4.47
	INC	Anveeksha Jain	5,131	3.59	−4.14
	NOTA	None of the Above	330	0.23	−
	BSP	Dharm Singh	211	0.15	−0.44
	NCP	Zahid Ali	150	0.11
Majority			33,062	23.16	−4.22
Turnout			1,42,872	65.77	−1.22
	AAP hold		Swing	+0.25

References

1. "Gopal-rai Kumar Biography - About family, political life, awards won, history".
2. Staff Reporter (14 September 2021). "AAP elects new political affairs committee". The Hindu.
3. "Delhi 2013". myneta.info. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
4. "Kejriwal's A-Team: The who's who of the Aam Aadmi Party". Firstpost. 26 November 2012.
5. Gargi Parsai (24 November 2012). "Team Kejriwal is now "Aam Aadmi Party"". The Hindu. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
6. "Know who is AAP leader Gopal Rai who was publicly rebuked by Anna Hazare". India TV. 13 December 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
7. "(Pics) 'Main bhi Aam Aadmi', AAP's drive to hunt honest candidates". 6 January 2014.
8. "Constituencywise Result Status". Election Commission of India. 8 December 2013.
9. "General VK Singh and AAP leader Gopal Rai lock horns at Anna Hazare's fast in Ralegan Siddhi". DNA India. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
10. "The common man wants Arvind Kejriwal to be prime minister: AAP". The Economic Times. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
11. Assembly Elections December 2013 Results, Election Commission of India

Aam Aadmi Party political offices
New political party	Member of Political Affairs Committee of AAP ? – present	Incumbent

State Legislative Assembly
Preceded by ?	Member of the Delhi Legislative Assembly from Babarpur (Vidhan Sabha constituency) 2020–	Incumbent