Just days before the Maharashtra Assembly election, the left-not-so-liberal lobby launched a smear campaign against Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, pinning the blame for Delhi’s poor air quality. Displaying sheer hypocrisy, they turned a blind eye to the stubble burning and the fact that the Delhi and Punjab governments have been caught wanting in taking measures to curb air pollution, however, the lobby became hyperactive in blaming the senior BJP leader, Bhupender Yadav, with a zeal never witnessed before. Incidentally, their selective blame game was not limited to shifting the public ire away from the below-par administration of the AAP government to Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, but it also reflects a broader agenda behind the lobby’s intention to target the cabinet minister.
Bhupender Yadav, the Union Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, has established himself as a formidable leader and strategist. Born in Ajmer, Rajasthan, Yadav pursued law at a government college in his hometown. He served as the General Secretary of the All India Advocates’ Council from 2000 to 2009, while actively practicing law in the Supreme Court.
In 2010, he was appointed National Secretary of the BJP, and by 2012, he became a Rajya Sabha MP. Promoted to National General Secretary in 2014, Yadav played pivotal roles in various parliamentary committees and key election campaigns, earning the nickname “Committee Man.” His strategic acumen came to the fore in elections like Rajasthan-Jharkhand (2013), Gujarat-Uttar Pradesh (2017), and Bihar (2020), where BJP achieved significant victories under his leadership.
Bhupender Yadav was made the in-charge of the Maharashtra elections in June when no one would have thought that the saffron party would do wonders in the Assembly elections slated for November after the state of Maharashtra handed a surprise setback to the saffron party in the 2024 General Elections. The BJP regards Bhupender Yadav as exemplary leaders, excelling both in governance and strategic political execution. Bhupender Yadav has been a seasoned election strategist and has played a pivotal role in securing key states like Uttar Pradesh for the saffron party.
Bhupendra Yadav was also assigned the challenging task of steering the campaign in Madhya Pradesh last year, where the party faced significant headwinds after nearly two decades in power. Initial forecasts were grim, with many doubting the BJP’s ability to secure a clear majority. However, his meticulous planning and execution led the party to a sweeping victory, securing 163 out of 230 assembly seats and reaffirming his strategic brilliance.
This made the senior leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party trust him and handed the responsibility to bring Maharashtra to the BJP fold again. Bhupendra Yadav kept the trust high by playing a pivotal role in ensuring the party’s remarkable success in the Maharashtra Assembly elections.
After a setback by Maharashtra in the Lok Sabha elections the party could only fetch 9 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra down from 23 in the 2019 General elections, reviving the party’s hold in the state was significant for the party. Bhupender Yadav was appointed as in-charge and co-in-charge of the state. Over months, he worked tirelessly to strengthen the party’s base without making much noise about it, bringing disgruntled leaders and smaller caste groups into the fold.
He successfully managed to keep the Maratha Reservation issue low and engaged with various factions to defuse tensions and maintain harmony, ensuring the party’s campaign was not derailed. His efforts culminated in a historic win, with BJP clinching 132 seats, its best-ever performance in Maharashtra Assembly elections with Mahayuti Alliance (BJP + Shiv Sena + NCP) holding 234 seats as compared to 50 of Mahavikas Agadi (Congress + Shiv Sena (UBT) + NCP (SP)). BJP alone grabbed 132 seats out of 145, which makes a remarkable 91 percent success rate.
Following the election results, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis congratulated Bhupender Yadav for securing the party’s landslide victory. The impeccable track record of Cabinet Minister Bhupender Yadav as an election strategist has clearly unsettled the left-leaning lobby, leading to a surge in trolling and blame games.