:Gajendra Singh Shekhawat

Shekhawat was born in Jaisalmer in the Indian state of Rajasthan. His father, Shankar Singh Shekhawat, was a senior government officer in the public health department and travelled on frequent assignments across the state to several different schools. He received a Master of Arts and Master of philosophy from Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur.{{Cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/cabinet-reshuffle-dedicated-party-veterans-ex-bureaucrats-in-modis-chosen-nine/articleshow/60345622.cms |title=Cabinet reshuffle: Dedicated party veterans, ex-bureaucrats in Modi's chosen nine |work=The Times of India |agency=PTI |date=4 September 2017 |access-date=27 March 2018}}{{Cite news |last=Sharma |first=Nidhi |date=25 April 2024 |title=Lok Sabha election: Two-term MP and greenhorn Rajputs clash in Jodhpur |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/lok-sabha/rajasthan/lok-sabha-election-two-term-mp-and-greenhorn-rajputs-clash-in-jodhpur/articleshow/109572557.cms |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389 |access-date=26 June 2024}}

Shekhawat began his political career in student politics when in 1992 he was elected as president of the Student Union at [https://www.jnvuiums.in JNVU University], gaining more votes than any other previous Akhil Bhartiya Vidhyarthi Parishad supporter. Shekhawat was appointed National General Secretary of the BJP Kisan Morcha, the farmers wing of the Bharatiya Janta Party.{{cite news|last1=Report|first1=TOI|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/bjp-kisan-morcha-names-office-bearers-says-will-work-for-farmers/articleshow/59056492.cms|access-date=15 July 2017|agency=PTI|title=BJP Kisan Morcha names office bearers, says will work for farmers}} He was also a member of the Rajasthan State Executive of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

He was elected as a member of parliament to the 16th Lok Sabha in 2014, with the highest ever winning margin (4,10,051 votes) from the constituency of Jodhpur. One of his major achievements during his tenure as an MP has been the expansion of the Jodhpur Airport, a demand that had continuously been raised during the last 18 years.{{Citation needed|date=March 2018}}

Known for his use of social media, Shekhawat is the most followed Indian politician on Quora.{{cite news|last1=Report|first1=TOI|title=On right track|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/this-jodhpur-mp-is-on-the-right-track/articleshow/58230925.cms|access-date=15 July 2017|agency=PTI}} His Quora profile has more than 83,749 followers and his answers on the social media platform have been viewed 8 million times.{{cite web|url=https://www.quora.com/profile/Gajendra-Singh-Shekhawat-6|website=Quora|access-date=15 July 2017|title=Profile: Gajendra Singh Shekhawat}} He also served as the Chairperson of the Fellowship Committee, member of the All India Council of Sports (AICS) and member of the Standing Committee on Finance.https://www.oneindia.com/politicians/gajendrasingh-shekhawat-35237.html

On 3 September 2017 he was appointed Union Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. He defeated Vaibhav Gehlot, the son of Ashok Gehlot, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan from Jodhpur by a margin of 2.74 lakh votes in 2019 Indian general elections.{{Cite news|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/elections/lok-sabha-2019/story/vaibhav-gehlot-gajendra-singh-shekhawat-ashok-gehlot-1533810-2019-05-24|title=Election results 2019: Modi wave drowns Ashok Gehlot's son in Jodhpur|first1=Rohit|last1=Parihar|date=24 May 2019|website=India Today|access-date=20 September 2020}} Shekhawat became the Minister of Jal Shakti on 31 May 2019.{{citation |title=Govt forms 'Jal Shakti' Ministry by merging Water Resources and Drinking Water Ministries |url=https://wap.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/govt-forms-jal-shakti-ministry-by-merging-water-resources-and-drinking-water-ministries-119053100711_1.html |work=Business Standard |date=31 May 2019 |agency=Press Trust of India }}{{Dead link|date=March 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{citation |title=PM Modi allocates portfolios. Full list of new ministers |url=https://www.livemint.com/politics/news/pm-modi-allocates-portfolios-full-list-of-new-ministers-1559288502067.html |work=Live Mint |date=31 May 2019 |access-date=2 June 2019 |archive-date=2 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190602015648/https://www.livemint.com/politics/news/pm-modi-allocates-portfolios-full-list-of-new-ministers-1559288502067.html |url-status=live }}

Before entering electoral politics, Shekhawat held many positions in many forums and organisations; he was the co-convener of the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, the economic wing of the Sangh Parivar and the General Secretary of Seema Jan Kalyan Samiti, an organisation dedicated to strengthening national security by developing border towns and villages.{{cite web|url=http://www.ptinews.com/news/9036653_Gajendra-Singh-Shekhawat--A-farmer-leader.html?fromNewsdog=1|title= Gajendra Singh Shekhawat|website=www.ptinews.com/home.aspx|access-date=5 December 2019}} As General Secretary, he was instrumental in building a second line of defence that consisted of civilians residing near the border area of Rajasthan. He was also instrumental in furthering the impact of civil defence by setting up 40 schools and four hostels along the India-Pakistan border.{{cite news|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/gajendra-shekhawat-rajasthan-farmer-leader-finds-a-spot-in-modi-cabinet-117090300303_1.html|title= Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and his contribution|newspaper=Business Standard India|date= 3 September 2017|access-date=5 December 2019|agency= Press Trust of India}}

In October 2024, he launched the first coal gallery at the National Science Centre in New Delhi, India.{{Cite web |last=Shukla |first=Piyush |date=2024-10-21 |title=First-Ever Coal Gallery Inaugurated at National Science Centre, New Delhi |url=https://currentaffairs.adda247.com/first-ever-coal-gallery-inaugurated-at-national-science-centre-new-delhi/ |access-date=2024-10-21 |website=adda247 |language=en-IN}}

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Category:Living people

Category:Narendra Modi ministry

Category:India MPs 2014–2019

Category:People from Jodhpur district

Category:Lok Sabha members from Rajasthan

Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Rajasthan

Category:1967 births

Category:People from Jaisalmer

Category:India MPs 2024–2029