Tilak Raj Behad Politician

Tilak Raj Behad (Tilak Raj Behar, Hindi: तिलक राज बेहड़, born 1 February 1957) is an Indian politician. He is the Chairman of Uttarakhand State Seed and Organic Production Certification Agency with a Cabinet Minister Rank. He has been Health Minister in Government of Uttarakhand and Deputy Leader of Opposition of Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly [10].He has been elected to the Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand four times consecutively - having won from Haldwani-Nainital Assembly Constituency in Uttar Pradesh in 1993 and 1996 and from Rudrapur-Kichha Assembly Constituency in Uttarakhand in 2002 [1] and 2007 [2].Behad is a member of the Indian National Congress (INC). He started his political career with Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP). He quit BJP and joined INC in 2002. This resulted in considerable weakening of BJP in the Tarai region of Uttarakhand [3]. He has served the people of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh by serving in various capacities - some of them being (though not limited to) Chairman of Mandi Parishad of Uttarakhand, Minister of Transport, Food and Civil Supplies, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Govt of Uttarakhand, Deputy Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly.Behad shot to prominence through his effective handling of the Health Ministry in the state of Uttarakhand from 2002 to 2007 in the Narayan Dutt Tiwari Cabinet. It was during this term, that the First Health Policy of the newly formed state was formulated [4], the National Rural Health Mission was launched in the state [5] and new Medical Colleges were set up [6]. The Swami Ramdev-Brinda Karat Controversy also happened during this term, which was ended by him getting an enquiry conducted by a state recognized Research Center and publishing its report to BBC News clearing Swami Ramdev of the allegations made by Brinda Karat [7].Behad faced an attack on his life in July 2007. The Uttarakhand Congress Party led by State Congress President and Leader of Opposition held a procession to the Governor's House and submitted a memorandum to protest against the same [8].