Who is UP's new deputy CM Brajesh Pathak? Know all about the popular Brahmin face

New Delhi, Mar 25: Brajesh Pathak has been made one of the two Deputy Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh government led by Yogi Adityanath, who took oath as Chief Minister of the state for the second term on Friday.

Who is Brajesh Pathak?

57-year-old Brajesh Pathak, who is a popular Brahmin face in UP, served as the Deputy Chief Minister and Cabinet Minister of Legislative, Justice, Rural Engineering service in the previous Uttar Pradesh Government. Unlike the other Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, Pathak is not from the Sangh Parivar, rather he started his political journey with Congress before finding his feet in politics with BSP.

Born on 25 June 1964 to Suresh Pathak in Mallawan, Hardoi district, Uttar Pradesh, he is a Lawyer by profession. He earned a degree of Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Lucknow.

His journey in politics started in the early 90s with the Congress. He had first contested in 2002 as elections as a Congress candidate from Mallawan but lost to BSP. Later, he joined the BSP and was given the ticket from Unnao Lok Sabha seat in 2004. Pathak won the elections and became party's deputy leader in the House.

In 2009, the BSP sent him to Rajya Sabha and made the party's chief whip in the house.

The 57-year-old joined the BJP in 2016 after losing in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. He won Lucknow Central seat on a BJP ticket and became a cabinet minister in the BJP government.

His wife Namrata is also a politically active person. She contested from Unnao Sadar seat in 2012 and lost the elections, but made the vice-chairman of the UP Women's Commission during the Mayawati government.

Pathak contested and won from Lucknow Central seat on a BJP ticket in 2017. He was made a cabinet minister in the BJP government.