R S Gavai, father of CJI-designate B R Gavai, was an Ambedkarite leader, ex-MP, and Governor. Justice Gavai has spoken about his father’s long association with the Congress party.
R S Gavai, the father of CJI-designate B R Gavai, was a prominent Ambedkarite leader, former Member of Parliament, and Governor. Justice Gavai has highlighted his father’s longstanding connection with the Congress party.
He has frequently expressed his admiration for the Indian Constitution, which he credits for shaping his path.
Concluding his speech with the slogan “Jai Bhim”, he stated last year,
“It is solely due to Dr B R Ambedkar’s efforts that someone like me, who studied in a semi-slum area at a municipal school, could attain this position,”
Justice Gavai’s family has deep ties to the Congress party, which he has acknowledged. In July 2023, he even offered to recuse himself from a case involving Congress leader Rahul Gandhi due to these connections.
Justice Gavai explained as he proposed to withdraw from hearing Rahul Gandhi’s challenge against a Gujarat High Court decision concerning his criminal defamation conviction.
“There is some difficulty on my part,”
“My father was associated… Though he was not a Congress member, but he was associated with Congress and very closely… He was associated with Congress for more than 40 years. He had been a Member of Parliament, Member of Legislature, with support of the Congress and… And my brother is still in politics and is associated with Congress.”
He urged the parties involved to consider whether he should handle the matter in light of his family background.
Justice Gavai is the son of Ramkrishna Suryabhan Gavai (1929-2015), a close associate of Babasaheb Ambedkar and chairman of the Deekshabhoomi Smarak Samiti in Nagpur.
Known as “Dadasaheb” to his followers, the senior Gavai was active in Maharashtra politics from 1964 to 1998 and founded the Ambedkarite group, the Republican Party of India (Gavai).
In 1998, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Amravati as an RPI candidate and later served as Governor of Bihar, Sikkim, and Kerala from 2006 to 2011 during the Congress-led UPA government.
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In 2009, while serving as Governor of Kerala, Gavai Sr opposed the state cabinet’s recommendation and allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation to prosecute the current Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, in the SNC-Lavalin case, which involved alleged corruption in hydropower contracts.
His decision received backing from the Congress-led central government in court, even as the Congress-led UDF was in opposition in Kerala.
Justice Gavai’s brother, Dr. Rajendra Gavai, briefly collaborated with Ramdas Athawale, president of the Republican Party of India (A) in 2009, aiming to unite various factions of the original RPI. However, differences led to a split, with the Gavai faction forming a pre-poll alliance with Congress, while Athawale’s group aligned with the BJP.
The RPI(A) is now part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), and Athawale serves as the Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment.
Justice Gavai’s father converted to Buddhism in 1956 during the movement initiated by Babasaheb Ambedkar, which saw half a million Dalits embracing Buddhism. Following this, the entire family also adopted the faith.
On May 6, President Droupadi Murmu appointed Justice Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai as the next Chief Justice of India, effective May 14, 2025. Currently the senior-most judge in the Supreme Court, Justice Gavai will take office a day after the retirement of incumbent CJI Sanjiv Khanna on May 13 (Tuesday).
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