Devinder Kumar Sehrawat is a retired colonel of the Indian Armed Forces and a politician, member of the Indian National Congress. He is a farmer leader from the rural belt of Delhi. He was a member of the Sixth Legislative Assembly of Delhi, he represented the Bijwasan constituency of New Delhi.
Devinder Kumar Sehrawat was born in Mahipalpur, Delhi in a jat family. He attended The Air Force School, Subroto Park, Delhi, as a boarding student. He earned a Post Graduate Diploma from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, a Master of Science (MSc) degree from Madras University, and a Bachelor of Science (BSc) from Jawaharlal Nehru University through the National Defence Academy (NDA).
Devinder Kumar Sehrawat served in the Indian Army for 20 years. He trained at the National Defence Academy (NDA), Pune, where he captained the basketball team and received the book prize for achieving first place in "Overall Common Service Subjects" during his fourth term. Following NDA, he completed his military training at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun. At IMA, he earned the Jammu and Kashmir Medal for excelling in "Tactical Training" among his coursemates and held the prestigious position of Academy Under Officer for two terms during his final year.
Sehrawat served in the Indian Army for 20 years. He trained at the NDA in Pune, where he captained the basketball team and excelled academically. He continued his training at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, receiving the Jammu and Kashmir Medal for Tactical Training and serving as academy under officer.
Commissioned into the Infantry in 1987, Sehrawat underwent commando training and specialized in counter-insurgency operations, high-altitude warfare, and logistics. He held key positions, including Deputy Commandant of a Field Ordnance Depot in Udhampur and command of a unit in Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir, during Operation Parakram. He retired as a colonel.
Sehrawat has been an advocate for farmers' rights in Delhi, focusing on land acquisition and rural development. His activism includes organizing mass protests, Maha Panchayats, and rallies to address issues such as inadequate compensation for land acquisitions and the lack of ownership rights under the Delhi Land Reforms Act.
Notable movements include:
Sehrawat played a key role in the India Against Corruption movement in 2011, which contributed to the push for the Lokpal Bill. He was a founding member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and served on its national executive committee. He has also worked to preserve Delhi's cultural heritage, including efforts to save the Aravali Ridge and Sultan Garhi structures, and was recognized for his social impact in TOI in March 2013.
He was one of the founder members of the Aam Aadmi Party, AAP and member of its first Executive Committee of the National Council, on formation of the party on 26 November 2012. He held the following responsibilities in the party- Member Land Acquisition Committee, Prabahari State of Haryana.
Efforts to Save the Ridge. He galvanized the villagers in the efforts to save the Aravali Ridge in Vasant Kunj- Mahipalpur-Rangpuri area.
Sehrawat was elected as Member of Legislative assembly of Delhi in Feb 2015, representing the Bijwasan Constituency. His tenure was marked by initiatives in infrastructure, education, and environmental advocacy:
In 2019, following the Pulwama attack, Sehrawat resigned from AAP and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), where he campaigned for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
He was elected as member of legislative assembly of Delhi in 2015, to represent Bijwasan Constituency:
He made a plan and prepared a vision document for development of Bijwasan constituency, which entailed the development of the Delhi Airport area. Infrastructure development plans. Projects in this area were pending for decades, the planned projects for Common Wealth Games, Delhi-2010, had not got implemented. The constituency was one of the most water deficient areas in Delhi. The plan âÂÂPehli NazarâÂÂ- The First Look of India, was conceived, with the aim of 'Creating a lasting impression on the foreign visitors' and to safe guard the heath of the residents of Bijwasan Constituency in view of the Use of Ground Water for Drinking Purpose, due to total absence of piped water supply.
Notable Works as MLA
During his tenure as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Delhi, Devinder Kumar Sehrawat undertook several significant infrastructure and development projects in the region. Some of his notable achievements include:
These initiatives significantly improved the quality of life for the residents of the region and showcased Sehrawat's commitment to public service.
He Resigned from Aam Aadmi Party, after Pulwama incident. He joined BJP in May 2019, during Delhi leg of the Lok Sabha elections and actively campaigned for BJP, resulting in second highest margin in Bijwasan constituency amongst the 10 Vidhan Sabha Constituencies under South Delhi Parliamentary seat.