How a local activist became a powerful voice in India's national parliament
In short: Born into a Dalit family in Uttar Pradesh, Chandrashekhar Azad rose from local advocacy to national prominence. As a lawyer and the founder of the Bhim Army, he has spent years challenging caste-based discrimination through education and protest, eventually securing a seat in India's 18th Lok Sabha in 2024.
Chandrashekhar Azad, born in 1987, began his journey in the village of Chhutmalpur. His early experiences with caste-based prejudice shaped his commitment to social justice. He first gained public attention by installing a sign welcoming visitors to his village as the Great Chamars of Ghadkhauli. Alongside Satish Kumar and Vinay Ratan Singh, he established the Bhim Army in 2014, an organization dedicated to Dalit emancipation, primarily through providing free education and school access in western Uttar Pradesh.
Azad's political career has been marked by both legislative ambition and frequent confrontation with state authorities. In 2020, he launched the Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram). His political path has included a 2022 run for the Gorakhpur Urban Assembly seat against Yogi Adityanath, where he secured 3.06% of the vote. By 2024, his influence grew significantly when he won the Nagina Lok Sabha constituency, receiving over 512,000 votes and defeating his BJP opponent by a margin of 151,473 votes.
His activism has often led to legal challenges. He was previously detained by the Uttar Pradesh government under the National Security Act following violence in Saharanpur, though the Allahabad High Court later granted him bail after his legal team argued the detention was politically driven. He has also been a vocal participant in national protests, including the 2019 movement against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the 2026 demonstrations regarding NEET examination irregularities. In 2021, Time magazine recognized his growing influence by naming him one of its 100 Emerging Leaders shaping the future.
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