MP CM Mohan Yadav pays tribute to former CM Babulal Gaur, who rose through ranks from ‘mazdoor’ to CM

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], August 21 (ANI): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav paid a floral tribute to former CM of the state late Babulal Gaur on his death anniversary at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state office in Bhopal on Wednesday.

In a post on X, CM Yadav wrote, “Today, I paid tribute to late Babulal Gaur ji, former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, by garlanding his picture on his death anniversary at the Bharatiya Janata Party office in Bhopal.”

He further wrote that the former CM’s dedication to the public service and states’ progress would always inspire them.

“Your life dedicated to public service and the progress of the state will always inspire us,” CM wrote.

State BJP Chief VD Sharma also paid floral tribute to former CM Gaur at the party office.

“I paid tribute to former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and senior BJP leader Babulal Gaur ji by offering flowers to his picture at the state office on his death anniversary,” Sharma wrote in a post on X.

Notably, Babulal Gaur served as the 16th Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh from August 2004 to November 2005. He covered a long way from ‘mazdoor’ to CM. He was a leader who rose through the ranks.

Born in 1930 in Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh, Baburam Yadav worked at Bhopal Textiles Mill and emerged as a ‘mazdoor’ leader after heading several movements and later went on to become the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh.

Yadav, who later earned name and fame as Babulal Gaur, died on August 21, 2019 at a private hospital in Bhopal after a cardiac arrest.

A record 10-time member of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Gaur was initially associated with left struggle movement and also worked for a brief period with Indian National Trade Union Congress but finally joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1946 and became a founder member of Rashtriya Mazdoor Sangh.

Gaur, who was detained for 19 months during the Emergency period, participated in a number of national-level movements including Goa independence.

He contested his first political battle unsuccessfully in 1971 from Bhopal South constituency but never looked back after winning the seat in a by-election in 1974.

Gaur fought elections from Govindpura constituency in 1977 and retained the seat till he was asked to hang his boots by the top BJP leadership in 2018 paving the way for his daughter-in-law Krishna Gaur, who is currently serving as a minister in the state (Independent Charge).

Gaur was an exceptional leader, who worked as Cabinet minister after serving as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh from August 2004 to November 2005.

Gaur’s promotion as chief minister was short of accidental in state politics as he was elected for the post after a dramatic turn of events when the then chief minister Uma Bharti had to step down from office following an arrest warrant issued against her in a case related to 1994 Hubli riots.

Bharti had led BJP to sweep Assembly elections in the state in 2003. Gaur, a confidant of Bharti, was made the chief minister as a stopgap arrangement till she was cleared of the case.

In November 2005, Gaur had to resign at the behest of the BJP high command which pointed Chouhan as the BJP legislative party leader capping hectic political activity and dealing a blow to Bharti’s efforts to stage a comeback.