Babulal Gaur Yadav was an Indian politician from Bharatiya Janata Party who served as the 16th Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. He was elected in 10 Assembly elections from the seat of Govindpura in Bhopal before retiring from electoral politics in 2018 due to old age. Gaur was born in the village of Naugir in Pratapgarh district, Uttar Pradesh He lived in Bhopal since his childhood. Gaur's educational qualification were Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws. Gaur started his political career as a trade union leader. He was first elected to Vidhan Sabha in a by-election in Bhopal South constituency in year 1974 as an independent supported by Janata Party. Gaur had participated in a number of national level movements like agitation against The Emergency, Goa liberation movement and Satyagrahas in Delhi, Beruwadi Saheb Punjab and other states. He was Minister for Local Administration, Law and Legislative Affairs, Parliamentary Affairs, Public Relations, Urban Welfare, Housing & Rehabilitation and Bhopal Gas Relief and Rehabilitation from 7 March 1990 to 15 December 1992. He was Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha from 4 September 2002 to 7 December 2003.
Early life
Babulal Gaur was born on 2 June 1929 at village Naugir in Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh as Baburam Yadav. His father Ram Prasad Yadav worked as a wrestler. He was brought up at Bhopal. Gaur graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Vikram University in Ujjain in 1958 and completed his Bachelor of Laws) in 1965, that too from the Vikram University. Gaur is also an agriculturalist by profession. After he moved to Bhopal, he came to be known by the name Babulal, and he changed his name accordingly to Babulal Gaur, a name that was first used for him in school to differentiate between other pupils with the same name.
Political career
Early politics
Before becoming politically active, he worked in an liquor company and then switched to Bhopal Textiles Mill. Gaur was associated with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh since 1946. Gaur started his political career as a trade union leader, and participated in several movements for labour rights of the workers. He led protests after joining the Indian National Congress-backed Indian National Trade Union Congress. He later joined the RSS-backed union Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh as one of its founder member. He participated in several programs organised by Sangh in Delhi, Punjab and other states. He became the Secretary of Jan Sangh in 1956. He unsuccessfully contested for the city council election in 1956. In 1972 he contested for the first time for state legislative assembly as a candidate from Jan Sangh but lost the election. He petitioned in the court and won the petition after which by-elections were conducted in 1974. Gaur won the by-election of 1974. Due to death of seating member of legislative assembly Mr Mohan Lal Astana by-elections were conducted in 1974.
Member of Legislative Assembly
He was first elected to the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly in a by-election representing Bhopal South constituency in year 1974 as an independent candidate supported by Janata Party. Gaur had participated in a number of national level movements like agitation against Emergency, Goa Independence and Satyagrahas in Delhi, Beruwadi Saheb Punjab and other states. Gaur was detained for 19 months during The Emergency under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act. He contested from Bhopal South in 1977 as a Janta Party candidate and won the legislative assembly seat. He contested from Govindpura constituency as a BJP candidate in 1980 for the first time and had won the legislative assembly seat for eight consecutive elections from 1980 to 2013 as a BJP candidate. He created a record by winning Vidhan Sabha election by 59,666 votes in 1993. Gaur broke his own record by winning Vidhan Sabha election by 64,212 votes in 2003. During 10th Vidhan Sabha 1993–98, Babulal Gaur was Chief Whip of BJP Legislature Party, Chairman of Public Accounts Committee, Member of Undertaking Committee, Privilege Committee etc. He was Minister for Local Administration, Law and Legislative Affairs, Parliamentary Affairs, Public Relations, Urban Welfare, Housing & Rehabilitation and Bhopal Gas Relief and Rehabilitation from 7 March 1990 to 15 December 1992. Gaur was Leader of Opposition from 4 September 2002 to 7 December 2003 in the 11th Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha.
Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh
The erstwhile chief ministerUma Bharti had resigned from the CM post after an arrest warrant was issued against her in the 1994 Hubli riot case by a Hubli court in Karnataka. Gaur became the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh from 23 August 2004 to 29 November 2005 after her. In November 2005, Shivraj Singh Chouhan succeeded Gaur as the CM.
Gaur was sworn in as Minister for Commerce, Industries, Commercial Taxes, Employment, Public Undertakings and Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation in Shivraj Singh Chouhan's Council of Ministers on 20 December 2008. Gaur was elected to 14th Vidhan Sabha from Govindpura constituency in year 2013. He took oath as Cabinet Minister on 21 December 2013. On 29 June 2015, Gaur gave the statement, "Drinking is a fundamental right and it is a status symbol too".
Gaur had two daughters and a son with wife Prem Devi. Prem Devi had already died and their son Purushottam died in 2004. He did not contest the State election in 2018 due to illness. Krishna Gaur, his daughter-in-law, won Govindpura assembly seat in 2018 as a BJP candidate. On 7 August 2019, Gaur was admitted in Narmada hospital in Bhopal due to various various age related diseases. He died on 21 August 2019 from cardiac arrest.
