Surinder Kumar Choudhary
Surinder Kumar Choudhary (born 1968) is a politician, currently serving as the deputy chief minister of the Jammu and Kashmir since 16 October 2024. He is a Jat from Jammu and Kashmir. He has been a member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly since 8 October 2024, representing the Nowshera assembly constituency as a member of the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference. Choudhary previously served as a member of the Legislative Council (MLC) from the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party (PDP).
Early life
He has a deep grassroot understanding of local issues. To raise people’s voice, he joined politics. He started his political career in the 1990s when he joined the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC). His commitment to public service quickly earned him support within his community, which helped him win the seat from Nowshera in the 1995 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections. This victory was the first gig milestone of his significant political journey.
Over the years, Choudhary switched parties multiple times. After serving as an MLA, he was elected to the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council. He later joined the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2022.
Education
He attended the Government Higher Secondary School in Nowshera, under the Jammu and Kashmir State Board of School Education completing his 12th grade in 1987. He did not pursue higher education, but decided to join politics.
Career in Politics
Before joining politics, Choudhary was an employee of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu. He contested his first Assembly election in 2009 from Nowshera. In 2014 elections, he was a Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party candidate for Nowshera assembly constituency and lost to Ravinder Raina of BJP by a margin of 10000 votes.[1] In April 2022, Choudhary resigned from PDP and joined BJP. He was general secretary of PDP at the time of his resignation. Choudhary cited reasons such as "people's love and affection" for delimitation under BJP government which divided Nowshera and Sunderbani into two distinct assembly constituencies. However, he quit BJP to join National Conference in July 2023, accusing Raina of "promoting family" and "corruption".[2]
In 2024 Assembly election, Choudhary contested again from Nowshera as a National Conference candidate and polled a total of 35,069 votes, defeating Ravinder Raina by a margin of 7819 votes.[3]
Posts Held
- NC’s Mazdoor Union in Sher-e-Kashmir Agriculture University, Jammu
- 2008 MLA election Nowshera BSP - Lost (got 12,186 votes)
- 2014 MLA election Nowshera PDP - (got 27,871 votes) Lost to Ravinder Raina by just 9,503 votes
- 2015 MLC from PDP
- 2015 - MLC from Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party (PDP)
- 2024 - MLA from Nowshera in Rajouri from JKNC and defeated BJP State President J&K Ravinder Raina
- 2024 Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir
Deputy chief minister
On 16 October 2024, Choudhary was sworn in as the deputy chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir in a ceremony held at Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC). The ceremony was presided over by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. Choudhary was joined by Sakeena Masood, Javid Ahmad Dar, Javed Ahmed Rana and Satish Sharma on the dias to take the oath of office as ministers. On 18 October 2024, an order was issued by Lieutenant Governor Sinha to allocate portfolios to council of ministers on the advice of chief minister. Choudhary was given the charge of Public Works (R&B), Industries and Commerce, Mining, Labour and Employment, and Skill Development.[4]
Gallery
External links
- https://dishajain.co.in/personalities/politics/surinder-kumar-choudhary/
- https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/jammu-kashmir-deputy-cm-nc-bjp-surinder-choudhary-omar-abdullah-9622967/lite/
References
- ↑ "J&K's new Deputy CM is recent import to NC from BJP, Omar says 'kept promise to Jammu'". The Indian Express. 2024-10-16.
- ↑ "J&K's new Deputy CM is recent import to NC from BJP, Omar says 'kept promise to Jammu'". The Indian Express. 2024-10-16.
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ PTI (2024-10-18). "J&K L-G allocates portfolios; who gets what in newly inducted Omar Abdullah-led cabinet". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X.
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