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Girish Bapat Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth3 September 1950

Age72 Years (at time of death)

BirthplaceTalegaon, Pune, Maharashtra

ProfessionPolitician

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseGirija Girish Bapat

FamilySon - Gaurav Bapat; Father - Bhalchandra Shankar Bapat; Mother - Pratibha Balchandra Bapat

Net worthRs. 5,17,92,555 (as of 2019)

Girish Bapat Biography

Girish Bhalchandra Bapat was a long-serving Indian politician from Pune who represented Kasba Peth in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly across multiple,

Early life and background

Girish Bhalchandra Bapat was born on 3 September 1950 in Talegaon, Pune, Maharashtra. He completed his schooling at New English School, Ramanbaug, Pune, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce, affiliated with Pune University, in 1972. He spent his early working life in Pune and at one point worked as a labourer at Tata Motors (then Telco), where he was active in union work.

Bapat developed links with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in his youth and was imprisoned for 19 months at Nashik central prison during the Emergency, an experience that helped propel him into electoral politics.

Career

Bapat joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in the early 1980s and took on organisational responsibilities soon after, serving as secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha in Pune in 1980. He began his elected career as a corporator in the Pune Municipal Corporation in 1983 and remained involved in municipal affairs through the 1980s and 1990s, including a term as standing committee chairman in 1986–87.

He was first elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from the Kasba Peth constituency in 1995 and retained the seat in successive elections through 2014. During this period he held several legislative and party responsibilities: he served on the Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation, chaired the state transport department in 1998–99, led the BJP in Pune as party president in 2006, and held roles such as chief whip of the BJP legislative party and chairman of the Public Accounts Committee between 2009 and 2014.

Following the 2014 state elections, Bapat joined the Devendra Fadnavis cabinet and was appointed Maharashtra’s Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Minister of Food & Civil Supplies, and Minister for Food & Drug Administration, serving in those portfolios from late 2014 until June 2019. He also acted as the state’s guardian minister for Pune district during that term.

In the 2019 general election Bapat transitioned to national politics, winning the Pune seat as a Member of Parliament. He represented Pune in the Lok Sabha from 2019 until his death in 2023.

Public profile

Bapat was known as a decades-long BJP veteran and a recognizable figure in Pune politics. His public life included close working relationships across political lines; at various points his friendship with leaders from other parties drew attention in local political circles. He was frequently in the media both for his political work and for occasional controversies.

Over the years he attracted criticism for several public incidents and remarks that generated debate. He was involved in legal and media scrutiny related to a municipal licensing decision, and at times faced public criticism for comments and photographs that became viral. In 2015 he publicly acknowledged that a remark he had made was intended lightly after it caused offence. In 2019 a tweet of his about an anti-satellite test was deleted after it drew online criticism.

Personal life

Bapat was married to Girija Girish Bapat, a homemaker. The couple had a son, Gaurav Bapat. His parents were Bhalchandra Shankar Bapat and Pratibha Balchandra Bapat. He lived in Pune and was identified with the Brahmin caste in public records. Physically, he was described as approximately 175 cm tall with black eyes and salt-and-pepper hair.

Health and death

Bapat’s health declined in early 2023. In February of that year he campaigned for a by-poll in the Kasba Peth assembly constituency while seriously ill, addressing party members from a wheelchair while receiving oxygen. He was later admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune and was on life support. Girish Bapat died on 29 March 2023; he was 72 years old. His body was brought to his residence in Kasba Peth for last rites, and people came to pay their respects.

Latest updates

At the time of his passing, public records listed his assets and liabilities as part of his election disclosures; a net worth estimate as of 2019 was recorded in those documents. Throughout a political career spanning municipal, state and national offices, Bapat remained a prominent figure in Pune and Maharashtra politics until his death.
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Recent Work

Member of Parliament, Pune

Elected to the Lok Sabha in 2019 and served as MP from Pune until 2023.

2019-2023
Cabinet Minister, Government of Maharashtra

Served as Minister of Parliamentary Affairs; Minister of Food & Civil Supplies; and Minister for Food & Drug Administration in the Devendra Fadnavis government.

2014-2019
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Career Highlights

  1. Joined BJP in the early 1980s and served as BJYM secretary, Pune in 1980
  2. Elected corporator, Pune Municipal Corporation (1983) and served until 1997
  3. Five-time MLA from Kasba Peth (1995–2014)
  4. Chief Whip of BJP Legislative Party and Chairman of Public Accounts Committee (2009–2014)
  5. Minister in the Maharashtra cabinet (2014–2019)
  6. Elected MP from Pune in 2019
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Net Worth

Rs. 5,17,92,555 (as of 2019)

Figures are editorial estimates based on publicly available reporting and may change as new information emerges.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Girish Bapat born?

3 September 1950

What is Girish Bapat known for?

Politician

What is Girish Bapat’s marital status?

Married

Who is Girish Bapat married to?

Girija Girish Bapat

What is Girish Bapat’s net worth?

Rs. 5,17,92,555 (as of 2019)