Kushwah was pitted against Indian National Congress candidate, Madan Kushwah in the 2013 Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly election. He was able to defeat him in this election. In 2018, he was able to retain the constituency, becoming the member of Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly for the second time.[7] The electoral contest of 2018 became triangular as Bahujan Samaj Party announced Sahab Singh Gurjar to be its candidate.[8][9]
In October 2024, a video of Kushwah got viral in which he was seen walking across various places in his constituency and meeting the ordinary people. He was also spotted promoting the small scale traders and asking the people shopping for Diwali to purchase from them to make the economy strong. Later, it was covered in news media as wll.[12]
Personal life
He belongs to OBC community. and has been a prominent face of BJP in Madhya Pradesh.[13][14]
Controversies
During the voting process in 2023 Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, murder of four people belonging to Rajput caste took place in Chakrampur village of Shivpuri region. There were allegations against Kushwah that he was involved in protecting the perpetrators.[15] This incident happened on 17 November 2023, when some people belonging to Kushwaha caste were allegedly trying to do frivolous voting in the favour of Indian National Congress, Kailash Kushwah on the Chakrampur polling booth in Shivpuri district. When stopped by Rajput people, who were supporters of Bharatiya Janata Party candidate, the people belonging to Kushwaha caste surrounded them and tried to burn them alive inside their vehicle, while they left the polling booth. On beling unsuccessful in their attempt, the perpetrators thrashed them badly leading to the death of four Rajput people belonging to same family.[16][17][18]
This village falls under Pohari Assembly constituency and there was massive protest by the people belonging to Rajput caste after the incident.[19]