Ajay Chandrakar

Ajay Chandrakar
Minister of Parliamentary affairs, Government of Chhattisgarh
In office 18 December 2013 – 12 December 2018
Chief Minister	Raman Singh
Preceded by	Brijmohan Agrawal
Succeeded by	Ravindra Choubey
In office 14 December 2003 – 11 December 2008
Chief Minister	Raman Singh
Preceded by	Ravindra Choubey
Succeeded by	Brijmohan Agrawal
Minister of Health, Family Welfare and Medical Education, Government of Chhattisgarh
In office 22 May 2015 – 12 December 2018
Chief Minister	Raman Singh
Preceded by	Amar Agrawal
Succeeded by	T. S. Singh Deo
Minister of Panchayat and Rural Development, Government of Chhattisgarh
In office 18 December 2013 – 12 December 2018
Chief Minister	Raman Singh
Preceded by	Ramvichar Netam
Succeeded by	T. S. Singh Deo
In office 14 December 2003 – 11 December 2008
Chief Minister	Raman Singh
Preceded by	Amitesh Shukla
Succeeded by	Ramvichar Netam
Minister of Higher & Technical education, Science & Technology, Government of Chhattisgarh
In office 2004 – 11 December 2008
Chief Minister	Raman Singh
Preceded by	Vikram Usendi
Succeeded by	Hemchand Yadav
Member of Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office 12 December 2013
Preceded by	Lekhram Sahu
Constituency	Kurud
In office 1 November 2000 – 11 December 2008
Succeeded by	Lekhram Sahu
Constituency	Kurud
Member of Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly
In office 1 December 1998 – 31 October 2000
Preceded by	Gurmukh Singh Hora
Constituency	Kurud
Personal details
Born	(1963-06-24) 24 June 1963 (age 62) Kurud, Chhattisgarh, India
Party	Bharatiya Janata Party
Spouse	Pratibha Chandrakar
Children	Ajay Ranjan Chandrakar
Alma mater	SBR College Durga Mahavidyalaya, Raipur
Website	ajaychandrakar.com

Ajay Chandrakar (born 24 June 1963) is an Indian politician from Chhattisgarh. He is a five time MLA and a former Cabinet Minister in Government of Chhattisgarh. He won the 2023 Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly election from Kurud Assembly constituency representing the Bharatiya Janata Party.^[1][2]

Chandrakar is from Kurud, Dhamtari District, Chhattisgarh. He is the son of late Kaliram Chandrakar. He completed his graduation from SBR College in Bilaspur. He later did MA in Hindi literature in1986 at Durga Mahavidyalaya, Raipur which is affiliated with Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University.^[3] His discontinued his research on plays of Vishnu Prabhakar due to political agitation during his student days.^{[citation needed]}

Chandrakar started his political life as a student leader. He first became an MLA winning the 1998 Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly election representing the Bharatiya Janata Party. He retained the seat for the BJP, in the first election after the formation of the new state. He won the 2003 Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly election defeating Deepa Sahu of the Indian National Congress by a thin margin of 2,709 votes. Later, he lost the 2008 Assembly election to Lekhram Sahu of Congress but regained the seat and won consecutively three terms in 2013, 2018 and 2023.^[4] In 2023, he polled 94,712 votes and defeated his nearest rival, Tarni Neelam Chandrakar of the Indian National Congress, by a margin of 8,090 votes.^[5][6]

In 1987, he even spent 7 days in jail for participating in an agitation. ^{[citation needed]} In 2003, he became a part of the Chhattisgarh government as a Panchayat and Rural Development Minister as well as a Minister of Parliamentary Affairs. ^{[citation needed]} In 2004, he was also assigned the portfolios of Science and Technology, Technical Education, and Manpower Planning. ^{[citation needed]} Later in 2007, he became the minister of higher education.^[7][8]

After he lost the 2008 Assembly election, he was made the head of the State Finance Commission. Later, he served as the party's vice-chairman and official spokesperson. ^{[citation needed]}

He regularly conducts Jandarshan programmes and meets people of his constituency. ^{[citation needed]}

He has been trying to get Sirpur, a world heritage site tag. He participates in the cultural and literary festivals held in Sirpur annually. ^{[citation needed]}

Chandrakar was unanimously elected as President of Chhattisgarh Football Association in November 2014.^[9]

• Ajay Chandrakar official website
• Official Facebook