Ashish Butail
{{short description|Indian Politician from Palampur|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Ashish Butail
| image =
| imagesize = 250x250px
| alt =
| caption =
| office5 = Member of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly
| constituency5 = Palampur
| term_start5 = 18 December 2017
| term_end5 =
| predecessor5 = Ashish Butail
| successor5 =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1980|01|09}}
| birth_place = Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India
| nationality = {{flag|India}}n
| party =20px Indian National Congress
| relations = Brij Behari Lal Butail (father)
Kunj Behari Lal Butail (uncle)
| residence = Bundla Tea Estate, Palampur
| blank2 = Alma mater
| data2 = Symbiosis International University (B.Com)
| blank3 =
| data3 =
| blank4 =
| data4 =
| honorific_prefix =
| office4 =
| term_start4 =
| governor4 =
| predecessor4 = Brij Behari Lal Butail
| office = Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Government of Himachal Pradesh
| termstart = 8 January 2023
| governor = Rajendra Arlekar
Shiv Pratap Shukla
| 1blankname = Chief Minister
| 1namedata = Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu
| 1blankname1 = Deputy CM
| 1namedata1 = Mukesh Agnihotri
| 1blankname2 = Ministry and Departments
| 1namedata2 = Urban Development
Higher Education
Elementary Education
}}
Ashish Butail (born 9 January 1980) is an Indian politician, tea planter and entrepreneur. He belongs to the Indian National Congress party, and has been elected to the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly from Palampur since 2018.{{Cite web |title=Himachal Pradesh(HP) Elections 2017 Constituencies & Candidate List, Himachal Pradesh Election Constituencies Names |url=https://indianexpress.com/section/elections/himachal-pradesh-assembly-elections-2017/hp-constituencies-list-2017/ |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2022-12-07 |title=Palampur Election Result 2022 LIVE: Congress MLA beats BJP candidate |url=https://www.cnbctv18.com/politics/palampur-election-result-2022-live-check-winner-losers-vote-margin-news-updates-15351321.htm |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=cnbctv18.com |language=en}} He currently serves as Chief Parliamentary Secretary in Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s cabinet.{{Cite web |last=Service |first=Tribune News |title=Himachal Cabinet expansion: 1 berth, Kangra with 10 MLAs gets raw deal |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/himachal/1-berth-kangra-with-10-mlas-gets-raw-deal-468683 |access-date=2023-01-24 |website=Tribuneindia News Service |language=en}}
Early life and education
Ashish Butail was born on 9 January 1980 to Brij Behari Lal and Beena Butail.{{Cite news |last=PTI |date=2017-10-29 |title=Fresh blood flowing in Palampur, a land of water |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/fresh-blood-flowing-in-palampur-a-land-of-water/article19945018.ece |access-date=2023-01-04 |issn=0971-751X}} His father is a stalwart of the Congress party who retired as Speaker of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly.{{Cite web |title= |url=https://hpvidhansabha.nic.in/News/NewsDetails/18}}{{Cite web |date=Nov 30, 2017 |title=brij behari lal butail - Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/politics/brij-behari-lal-butail/articleshow/58939950.cms |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=The Times of India |language=en}} His grandfather Lala Bansi Lal and great grandfather Lala Kanhaiya Lal were prominent Pragpur merchants and philanthropists who were actively involved with the Indian independence movement.{{Cite web |date=2013-01-08 |title=Butail all set to become HP assembly speaker |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/butail-all-set-to-become-hp-assembly-speaker/story-yiGeVlXoPSV21cgdyIVE6K.html |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}
Butail was educated at the Bishop Cotton School, Shimla,{{Cite web |date=2017-10-24 |title=7 Bishop Cotton alumni in fray for Himachal assembly |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/seven-alumni-from-shimla-boarding-school-in-himachal-poll-fray/story-P4EF7uoWaanKB9dvQFBc4J.html |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}} and earned his B.Com degree from Symbiosis International University.{{Cite web|title=The Tribune, Chandigarh, India – Himachal Pradesh|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060916/himachal.htm#6|access-date=5 March 2021|website=www.tribuneindia.com}}
Politics and career
Ashish Butail began his political career by entering the Indian Youth Congress, the youth wing of the Indian National Congress. He was the first elected President of the Lok Sabha Youth Congress Committee, Kangra (HP) from 2011 to 2013. He was appointed Secretary of the HP Congress Committee in 2014. He was subsequently appointed Treasurer of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee, and is currently the General Secretary of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee.
In December 2017 he contested his maiden election, defeating PM Narendra Modi’s confidant{{Cite web |date=2017-11-07 |title=Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections 2017: Up against BJP rebel, Indu Goswami seeks votes to 'strengthen PM's hands' |url=https://indianexpress.com/elections/himachal-pradesh-assembly-elections-2017/himachal-pradesh-assembly-elections-2017-up-against-bjp-rebel-indu-goswami-seeks-votes-to-strengthen-pms-hands-4926457/ |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}} and BJP Mahila Morcha chief, Indu Goswami to represent Palampur in the 13th HP Vidhan Sabha.{{Cite web|title=Ashish Butail(Indian National Congress(INC)):Constituency- PALAMPUR(KANGRA) – Affidavit Information of Candidate|url=https://myneta.info/HimachalPradesh2017/candidate.php?candidate_id=3408|access-date=5 March 2021|website=myneta.info}} During his term in the opposition he was nominated as a member of the Estimates and Rural Planning Committees.https://evidhan.nic.in/Member/Details/453{{Cite web|last=Service|first=Tribune News|title=Virbhadra's loyalists in Cong office-bearers' list|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/himachal/virbhadras-loyalists-in-cong-office-bearers-list-57757|access-date=5 March 2021|website=Tribuneindia News Service|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Service|first=Tribune News|title=Son rise in HP Cong: Butail, Bali Vikramaditya get plum posts|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/himachal/son-rise-in-hp-cong-butail-bali-vikramaditya-get-plum-posts-724770|access-date=5 March 2021|website=Tribuneindia News Service|language=en}}
In December 2022 he was once elected to the HP Vidhan Sabha, defeating BJP State General Secretary Trilok Kapoor.{{Cite web |last=Service |first=Tribune News |title=Congress wins three out of four seats in Palampur region |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/himachal/congress-wins-three-out-of-four-seats-in-palampur-region-459153 |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=Tribuneindia News Service |language=en}} Butail has subsequently been appointed Chief Parliamentary Secretary in HP Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s cabinet.{{Cite news |last=Vasudeva |first=Vikas |date=2023-01-08 |title=Himachal Pradesh Cabinet formed with seven Ministers, 6 CPS also appointed |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/himachal-pradesh-cabinet-formed-with-seven-ministers-6-cps-also-appointed/article66352629.ece |access-date=2023-01-08 |issn=0971-751X}} He currently holds charge of the Urban Development and Education departments.{{Cite web |date=2023-01-23 |title=Four HP chief parliamentary secretaries allotted departments |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/four-hp-chief-parliamentary-secretaries-allotted-departments-101674430335378.html |access-date=2023-01-24 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}
Personal life
He married Kanika Butail in 2009. They have one daughter.