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Rakesh Tikait Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 1, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth4 June 1969

Age52 Years

BirthplaceSisauli village, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh

ProfessionFarmer

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseSunita Devi

FamilyFather: Chaudhary Mahendra Singh Tikait; Mother: Baljori Devi; Children: Son - Chaudhary Charan Singh Tikait; Daughters - Seema and Jyoti; Siblings - Naresh, Surendra, Narendra Tikait

Rakesh Tikait Biography

Rakesh Tikait is a prominent Indian farmers’ leader and politician from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. Son of the late Chaudhary Mahendra Singh Tikait, he’s

Early life and background

Rakesh Tikait was born on 4 June 1969 in Sisauli village, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. He grew up in a family long associated with agriculture and local khap leadership. Educated locally, he attended DAV Inter College in Sisauli and Kisan Inter College in Lalu Kheri before completing a Bachelor of Arts at Chaudhary Charan Singh University (formerly Meerut University).

Tikait belongs to a family with deep roots in the region: his father was the noted farmers’ leader Chaudhary Mahendra Singh Tikait and his mother is Baljori Devi. He has several siblings, including brothers Naresh, Surendra and Narendra Tikait. The family carries the hereditary title Tikait, historically linked to the leadership of the Baliyan Khap.

Career

Rakesh Tikait’s public life centers on farmers’ activism and organizational leadership. He served briefly as a constable in the Delhi Police early in his career but left that position during the farmers’ protests of 1993 to join the movement led by his father. After that decision he became fully engaged with the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU).

In 1997 he was elected national spokesperson for the BKU, a role that placed him at the forefront of farmers’ campaigns across North India. Over the years he has led and participated in multiple agitations, including a campaign in Rajasthan over procurement prices for millet (bajra) that resulted in government concessions after large-scale protests and his brief imprisonment.

Politically, Tikait has contested elections and joined formal politics. He ran as an independent candidate in the 2007 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election from Khatauli in Muzaffarnagar but did not win. In March 2014 he joined the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and stood as the party’s candidate in the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Amroha, where he received a small share of the vote.

Tikait has been an important figure in more recent national farmer mobilizations. He emerged as a visible leader during the 2020–21 farmers’ protests in and around Delhi and served as a member of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha committee that engaged in talks with the union government.

Public profile

Rakesh Tikait is widely recognized among farmers in North India for his organizing role and public speeches. Although his elder brother Naresh holds the formal presidency of the BKU and leads the Baliyan Khap following the family tradition that passes command to the eldest son, many of the BKU’s major decisions are associated with Rakesh’s leadership and public prominence.

Media reports note that Tikait has faced arrests in the course of his activism and that several criminal cases are recorded against him. He has also been the target of an assault at a public event: on 30 May 2022 he was attacked with ink at a press conference in Bengaluru.

Personal life

Rakesh Tikait is married to Sunita Devi; the couple married in 1985. They have a son, Chaudhary Charan Singh Tikait, and two daughters, Seema and Jyoti. Tikait’s stated religion is Hinduism and his community identity is Jaat.

Latest updates

Tikait continued to be active in farmer leadership and negotiations with government representatives into the early 2020s, remaining a prominent and sometimes controversial figure in India’s farm movement landscape.
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Recent Work

National spokesperson, Bharatiya Kisan Union

Serving as the BKU’s national spokesperson since 1997 and active in organizing farmers’ agitations, including the 2020–21 protests and negotiations with the union government.

1997–present
RLD candidate, 2014 Lok Sabha election (Amroha)

Contested the 2014 parliamentary election on a Rashtriya Lok Dal ticket.

2014
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Career Highlights

  1. Elected national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Kisan Union in 1997
  2. Left a brief Delhi Police post to join farmers’ protests in 1993
  3. Prominent leader during the 2020–21 farmers’ protests and member of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha negotiating committee
  4. Contested elections: 2007 UP assembly (independent) and 2014 Lok Sabha (RLD)
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Rakesh Tikait born?

4 June 1969

What is Rakesh Tikait known for?

Farmer

What is Rakesh Tikait’s marital status?

Married

Who is Rakesh Tikait married to?

Sunita Devi