After 31 years of association with Congress, Manish Tewari finally becomes a minister

New Delhi: Though a first time MP, AICC spokesperson Manish Tewari has a long association of nearly 31 years with Congress since joining its youth wing in 1981. The 47-year-old leader was seen as a strong defence line of the Congress in JPC on 2G to counter BJP onslaught. On Sunday, Tewari was sworn in as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) Information and Broadcasting.

Tewari, who was the president of Indian Youth Congress from 1998 to 2000, lost the 2004 Lok Sabha polls but successfully contested the 2009 general elections from Ludhiana by defeating Shiromani Akali Dal's candidate Gurcharan Singh Galib by a margin of over one lakh votes. During his pre-university days, he joined youth wing of Congress and rose to become its All India Youth President before becoming the Secretary of AICC and was appointed as its spokesperson in 2008.

Tewari comes from an eminent Punjabi family. His father VN Tewari, a professor of Punjab University, was part of the freedom movement and was killed by terrorists in 1984, few months before Operation Blue Star. Tewari's grandfather Sardar Tirath Singh too was an advocate and Minister in the Congress government in Punjab.

The 47-year-old leader was seen as a strong defence line of the Congress in JPC on 2G to counter BJP onslaught.

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