Sandeep Kumar (politician)

Sandeep Kumar
Minister for Women and Child, Social Welfare, Language, SC & ST
Incumbent
Assumed office
14 February 2015
Personal details
Born 12 July 1980
Saragthal, Sonepat, Haryana [1][2]
Nationality Indian
Political party Aam Aadmi Party
Spouse(s) Ritu Verma
Residence Sultanpur, Delhi, Delhi, India
Profession Lawyer, Politician
Religion Hinduism

Sandeep Kumar is an Indian politician and the incumbent minister of SC/ST Welfare and Women and Child Welfare in the Delhi government, under the Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal. He is currently the youngest minister in Kejriwal's cabinet. He is a member of the Aam Aadmi Party and represents Sultan Pur Majra (Assembly constituency) in member of the Sixth Legislative Assembly of Delhi.[3]

Early life and education

Sandeep Kumar is the son of Zile Singh and a resident of Sultanpur area in Delhi. He completed his 12th standard in 2001, under the CBSE board of Delhi. He acquired a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Delhi University in 2004. He became a lawyer by getting his LLB degree from the Chaudhary Charan Singh University (CCS University), Meerut in 2009. He is married to Ritu Verma, who is a housewife.[4]

Political career

Kumar worked with Arvind Kejriwal (who would later become the convenor of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)) in the India Against Corruption-led anti-corruption movement in 2012. As a lawyer, he fought cases for economically and socially backward people, without taking any fees.[5]

Kumar contested the 2013 Delhi Legislative Assembly elections from the Sultan Pur Majra (Assembly constituency) (which is reserved for Scheduled Caste) from the AAP. He secured 30,346 votes and stood second losing to the three-time MLA (member of Legislative Assembly), Jai Kishan of the Indian National Congress (INC), by the margin of 1,112 votes.[6] The AAP renominated him for the constituency in the 2015 Delhi Legislative Assembly elections. He won with 80,269 votes. Kumar not only defeated the sitting MLA 4-time MLA Kishan, who stood third, but also defeated his nearest rival, Parbhu Dayal - the councillor (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by the margin of 64,439 votes.[5][7][8] At 56%, Kumar won by the highest margin in percentage.[9] He was described as a "giant killer" for defeating Kishan.[5]

After AAP's rout from Delhi in the 2014 Indian general election where all 7 Delhi seats were won by BJP; Kumar and other volunteers were credited with revival at the grass-root levels. He conducted several corner meetings and organized door-to-door voter connect campaign to increase voter base in North West Delhi. Kumar's elevation as minister of SC/ST Welfare and Women and Child Welfare, in Kejriwal's cabinet was regarded as a recognition of his efforts for the party.[5] The former ministry was held by Rakhi Birla, who courted controversy in the last Kejriwal cabinet.[10] He also is in charge of social welfare and language ministries.[11] With average age of 42 years, the cabinet was described as the "youngest" in the country, 34 year-old Kumar being its youngest member.[12]

Posts Held

# From To Position Comments
01 2015 - Member, Sixth Legislative Assembly of Delhi

See also

References