Anurag Thakur

Anurag Thakur
Thakur in 2023
Minister for Information and Broadcasting
In office
7 July 2021 – 11 June 2024
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi
Preceded byPrakash Javadekar
Succeeded byAshwani Vaishnav
Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports
In office
7 July 2021 – 11 June 2024
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi
Preceded byKiren Rijiju
Succeeded byMansukh Mandaviya
Minister of State for Finance & Corporate Affairs
In office
31 May 2019 – 7 July 2021
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi
MinisterNirmala Sitharaman
Succeeded byBhagwat Karad
Pankaj Chaudhary
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
Assumed office
25 May 2008
Preceded byPrem Kumar Dhumal
ConstituencyHamirpur, Himachal Pradesh
Majority1,82,357(17.42%)
33rd President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India
In office
22 May 2016 – 2 January 2017
Preceded byShashank Manohar
Succeeded byC. K. Khanna
President of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha
In office
2011–2016
Preceded byAmit Thaker
Succeeded byPoonam Mahajan
Personal details
Born (1974-10-24) 24 October 1974 (age 50)
Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, India
Political partyBharatiya Janata Party
SpouseShefali Thakur
Residence(s)Sameerpur, Hamirpur, Jaipur Himachal Pradesh
Alma materDoaba College (B.A.)
Military service
Allegiance India
Branch/service Indian Army
Years of service2016–present
Rank Captain
Unit Territorial Army

Anurag Singh Thakur (born 24 October 1974) is an Indian politician from the Bharatiya Janata Party and a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha from Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh. He was former Minister of Sports, Youth Affairs and Minister of Information and Broadcasting in the Second Modi ministry. His father, Prem Kumar Dhumal was a former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh.

Previously, Thakur served as a Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs. He was first elected to the Lok Sabha in May 2008 in a by poll as a candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party.[1] Coming from a political family of Himachal Pradesh, he is a long serving, four time Member of Parliament, being a member of 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th Lok Sabha.[2]

Previously, he was the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from May 2015 to February 2017, and had to leave that position after the Supreme Court order on BCCI governance. During his time as BCCI president he operated for some time from West Bengal.[3] On 29 July 2016, he became the first serving Member of Parliament from the BJP to become a regular commissioned officer in the Territorial Army.[4] He was involved in a legal struggle between the Himachal Pradesh State Government and the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association over the rights to the International Cricket Stadium at Dharamshala.[5] There was also controversy over his appointment as the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and he had to leave that position following a Supreme Court order. In 2024, he was elected as MP from Hamirpur constituency in Himachal Pradesh for the 2024 General Elections.[6][7][8]

  1. ^ "Anurag Thakur's political journey: A tale of struggle, patience and thorns". TimesofIndia. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  2. ^ "Lok Sabha poll in Hamirpur: 'Dropped father's surname to find my own identity,' says BJP's Anurag Thakur on bucking anti-dynasty trend". firstpost. 1 May 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  3. ^ "Anurag Thakur, former BCCI president, apologises to Supreme Court". hindustantimes.com. 6 March 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  4. ^ "Anurag Thakur becomes first serving BJP MP to join Territorial Army". The Indian Express. 29 July 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  5. ^ "High Court restores Dharamshala cricket stadium to Anurag's HPCA". The Indian Express. 5 November 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  6. ^ "Second list of BJP candidates for ensuing General Elections 2024 to the Parliamentary Constituencies of different states finalised by BJP CEC. BJP upcoming president". 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  7. ^ The Economic Times (6 June 2024). "Bullish Wins & Bearish Losses: Here are the key contests and results of 2024 Lok Sabha polls". Archived from the original on 27 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  8. ^ The Economic Times (6 June 2024). "Bullish Wins & Bearish Losses: Here are the key contests and results of 2024 Lok Sabha polls". Archived from the original on 27 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.