Editing Ghulam Nabi Azad (section)

==Political career==
Azad started his career soon after working as the secretary for the Block Congress Committee in [[Bhalessa]] in 1973. Two years later, he was nominated as the President of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Youth Congress. In 1980, he was appointed the President of the All-India Youth Congress.<ref name=bio/>

After being elected to the [[Seventh Lok Sabha]] from Maharashtra's [[Washim (Lok Sabha constituency)]] in 1980, Azad entered into the Central government as Deputy Minister in charge of Law, Justice and Company Affairs Ministry in 1982.

Subsequently, he was elected to the [[Eighth Lok Sabha]] in 1984 and was a member (1990 - 1996) from Maharashtra in [[Rajya Sabha]].<ref name="RS-list">{{cite web|title=Alphabetical List Of Former Members Of Rajya Sabha Since 1952|url=http://164.100.47.5/Newmembers/alphabeticallist_all_terms.aspx|access-date=3 October 2015}}</ref> During Rao's government, Azad took charge of Parliamentary Affairs and Civil Aviation ministries. He was subsequently elected to Rajya Sabha from Jammu and Kashmir during the term of 30 November 1996 to 29 November 2002 and 30 November 2002 to 29 November 2008, but resigned on 29 April 2006 as he became Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir on 2 November 2005.<ref name="RS-list"/>

The [[Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party|People's Democratic Party]], a coalition partner of the Indian National Congress in Jammu and Kashmir, withdrew its support for Azad's government, and rather than attempt to sustain his government by requesting a vote of confidence, Azad resigned on 7 July 2008, and later left office on 11 July 2008.<ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/07/07/kashmir.resign/ "Kashmir chief's surprise resignation"], CNN, 7 July 2008.</ref>

===Union government===
[[File:Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad assumes charge of the Union Minister for Urban Development in New Delhi on May 25, 2004 (Tuesday.jpg|thumb|Ghulam Nabi Azad assumes charge as the Union Minister for Urban Development in New Delhi on 25 May 2004|left]]
In the [[Second Manmohan Singh ministry|second]] United Progressive Alliance Government, led by [[Manmohan Singh]], Azad was sworn in as the Health Minister of India. He was elected to Rajya Sabha for the fourth and fifth terms from Jammu and Kashmir during the term of 30 November 1996 to 29 November 2002.<ref name="RS-list"/> He vowed to expand the National Rural Health Mission, which has mobilized half a million health workers, all across India, and later his ministry also launched a National Urban Health Mission, to serve the slum dwelling urban poor.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/azads-pat-for-nrhm-schemes/article4616625.ece|title=Azad's pat for NRHM schemes|work=The Hindu|access-date=2017-03-25}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/nuhm-launched-to-cover-urban-areas-with-over-50000-population/article5598113.ece|title=NUHM launched to cover urban areas with over 50,000 population|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|work=The Hindu|access-date=2017-03-25}}</ref>

He has suggested a late marriage age of between 25 and 30 for population control, and has said that lack of electricity & thereby absence of TV entertainment in rural areas will cause people to produce more children.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/Azad+says+watch+TV+to+check+baby+boom/1/51351.html|title=Azad says watch TV to check baby boom|access-date=2017-03-25}}</ref>

===Leader of Opposition===
In June 2014, after the [[National Democratic Alliance (India)|National Democratic Alliance]] won a majority in the [[Lok Sabha]] and formed the Union government, Azad was appointed the leader of opposition in the [[Rajya Sabha]], where Congress still held the majority.<ref>[http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ghulam-nabi-azad-made-leader-of-congress-in-rajya-sabha-set-to-become-leader-of-opposition-576466 Ghulam Nabi Azad Made Leader of Congress in Rajya Sabha, Set to Become Leader of Opposition], NDTV News, 8 June 2014.</ref>

In 2015, Azad got re-elected to the Rajya Sabha from Jammu and Kashmir, despite the PDP-BJP alliance holding a majority of seats in the Legislative Assembly.<ref>[http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/congress-leader-ghulam-nabi-azad-relected-to-rajya-sabha/ Kashmir surprise: Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad reelected to Rajya Sabha], The Indian Express, 8 February 2015.</ref>

[[File:The President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind presenting the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award for the year 2015 to Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad, at a function, at Parliament House, in New Delhi.JPG|thumb|[[Ram Nath Kovind]], President of India presenting the [[Outstanding Parliamentarian Award]] for 2015 to Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad, at a function, at [[Old Parliament House, New Delhi|Parliament House, New Delhi]] on August 1, 2018.]]

===Resignation from INC===
In August 2022, Azad resigned from the post of chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Congress campaign committee hours after his appointment. Sonia Gandhi accepted the resignation from Azad. On 26 August 2022, he resigned from all positions including primary membership of the party.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://bigmirror.in/rahul-gandhi-demolished-congress-party-ghulam-nabi-azad-quits/|title= Ghulam Nabi Azad quits Congress party|publisher=Big Mirror News|date= 26 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.livemint.com/news/india/ghulam-nabi-azad-quits-j-k-congress-campaign-committee-hours-after-his-appointment-11660698120607.html|title=Ghulam Nabi Azad quits J&K Congress campaign committee hours after his appointment|publisher=Live Mint|date= 23 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/news/ghulam-nabi-azad-resigns-from-all-congress-party-positions-heres-a-primer/article65813609.ece|title=Ghulam Nabi Azad resigns from all Congress party positions: Here's a primer|publisher= Frontline|date=26 August 2022}}</ref> In his resignation letter, he cited destruction of consultative process by [[Rahul Gandhi]] as a reason.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Phukan |first1=Sandeep |title=Ghulam Nabi Azad quits Congress saying Rahul Gandhi destroyed party's consultative mechanism |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ghulam-nabi-azad-resignation-letter-primary-membership-positions-congress/article65813518.ece |access-date=2022-08-26 |work=The Hindu |date=2022-08-26}}</ref>