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Bhupender Yadav has long been the go-to person for the Bharatiya Janata Party top brass for handling a variety of challenges and issues, ranging from assembly polls and organisation matters in important states to directing the party's views in a number of parliamentary committees.
His entry to the Modi government as a Cabinet minister is seen as his just reward after serving as a party office-bearer for the longest term among all current occupants.
The 51-year-old second-term Rajya Sabha MP, enjoys the image of a sober and non-controversial politician who deftly handles the issues on hand without drawing any negative attention, a trait which has acquitted him well with various party presidents ranging from Nitin Gadkari to Amit Shah and J P Nadda.
Yadav was considered a trusted general secretary of Shah, when he was the party president, and has been in charge of the BJP's affair in Bihar and Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah.
He has also part of the party's brain trust to strategise for important state assembly polls and was often dubbed as the "committee man", as he once chaired around eight select committees and successfully persuaded all parties in building a consensus on many contentious bills.
From drafting resolutions at key party meetings to shaping its stand on legal challenges and presenting its views before the Election Commission, Yadav has always been the leader in the thick of things.
These included the GST Bill, Mines and Minerals Bill and Enemy Property Bill. The BJP general secretary was also chairman of the Joint Committee on Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2015.
Hailing from Rajasthan and lawyer by profession, Yadav had been associated with the Akhil Bhartiya Adhivakta Parishad, a lawyers' body affiliated to the RSS, and rose through the ranks.
Prior to beginning his political career, he was an advocate in the Supreme Court and also served as government counsel for important commissions.