Kailash Vijayvargiya

Kailash Vijayvargiya (born 13 May 1956) is an Indian politician serving as National General Secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party. He started his political career in the Indore Bharatiya Janata Party, and was the mayor of Indore, a six-time legislator and a state government cabinet minister for over 12 years before being elevated to the party's central leadership.

Vijavargiya was made in charge of BJP's election campaign for Haryana in 2014, after which BJP gained a majority in the assembly election. This victory allowed him to gain a more central role in party leadership, and in June 2015 he was appointed national general secretary by party president Amit Shah, and the new leader of the BJP in West Bengal.

Personal life
Vijavargiya was born on 13 May 1956 to Shankardayal Vijavargiya in Indore. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree and later earned an LLB. Vijavargiya is married to Asha Vijayvargiya, with whom he has two sons, including politician Akash Vijayvargiya. He built world's highest Octa metal statue of Hanuman in Indore. After 20 years, BJP National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya received food. He was not eating grains for two decades and had given up all pulses including wheat, rice, maize, millet and jowar. He was eating only mordhan, rajgira, sago, fruits and vegetables.

Political career
Vijayvargiya entered politics through Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in 1975. He became a corporator of the Indore Municipal Corporation in 1983 and a member of the standing committee in 1985. He has been the state secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the BJP, and Indore, and the co-ordinator of State BJP legal cell. He became the state co-ordinator of Vidyarthi Parishad in 1985, state vice-president of the BJYM in 1992, and the national general secretary of the BJYM and the leader of Gujarat in 1993. Vijayvargiya was elected to the Vidhan Sabha in 1990, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008, and 2013.

He was in charge of the BJP's Haryana state assembly election campaign in 2014, when the party registered its first win in the Haryana state assembly election, taking BJP's tally from 4 to 47 seats. He was named the National General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party as well as the party leader for West Bengal in 2015. He was included in the top 100 influential person list of India for year 2021. He was considered as a game changer for BJP in West Bengal as party won 18 seat in 2019 Lok sabha election.

Mayor
Vijayvargiya became the first directly elected mayor of Indore Municipal Corporation in 2000. He was nominated president of the South Asia Mayors’ Council in 2003, and led the Indian Voluntary Organisation’s team at the World Earth Summit in Durban.

State cabinet minister
Vijayvargiya was sworn in as cabinet minister in Madhya Pradesh Government on 8 December 2008, and given portfolios of Public Works, Parliamentary Affairs, Urban Administration and Development. He was given a portfolio of Religious Trusts, Endowment, and Rehabilitation on 1 July 2004. Vijayvargiya again joined Babulal Gaur's Council of Ministers as Public Works Minister on 27 August 2004. He was re-inducted into Shivraj Singh Chouhan's Council of Ministers on 4 December 2005, as a Public Works, Information Technology, and Science & Technology Minister.

In the second cabinet under Shivraj Singh Chouhan (post-2008 elections), Vijayvargiya held portfolios of IT and Industries. In the third cabinet (post-2013 elections), Vijayvargiya held the portfolio of Urban Development. He brought TCS, Infosys and more than 17 IT companies to Indore. Global investor Meet in MP was one of the biggest initiatives during his tenure as an Industry Minister. Involved in finalizing 259 MOUs for setting up projects worth Rs 4.31 Trillion.