Seasoned politician SP Singh Baghel Cabinet fixture since 1998

Baghel was in the security team of Mulayam Singh Yadav as a sub-inspector in Uttar Pradesh Police, after Yadav became the chief minister in 1989.

From getting an opportunity from the Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav to losing the 2022 UP Assembly election to Akhilesh Yadav, Union Minister SP Singh Baghel has been associated with three major political parties of Uttar Pradesh — BJP, SP and BSP.

Elected from Agra (SC) parliamentary constituency of Uttar Pradesh, 63-year-old Baghel, who hails from the Dhangar community, on Sunday took oath as Union Minister of State for the second time. Baghel was in the security team of Mulayam Singh Yadav as a sub-inspector in Uttar Pradesh Police, after Yadav became the chief minister in 1989. Later, Yadav gave Baghel an opportunity in politics.

On a Samajwadi Party ticket, he went to Parliament from Jalesar Lok Sabha constituency in 1998, 1999 and 2004, but later joined Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). He got a chance to go to Rajya Sabha. Baghel later joined BJP and was made a candidate by the party from Tundla assembly constituency in 2017 UP assembly elections. After winning the assembly elections, he was made the cabinet minister in the first government led by Yogi Adityanath.

In the 2019 general elections, Baghel was made a Lok Sabha candidate from Agra by the BJP and won the polls. He was sworn in as a Minister of State in the expansion of the Modi 2.0 government. On Sunday, too, he was also sworn in as a Union Minister of State. Earlier in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Baghel was fielded by the BJP against SP chief Akhilesh Yadav from Karhal assembly constituency in Mainpuri, where he was defeated.