Bajpai became actively involved in politics as a student and started his political career with
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. He was an active participant in the
Jayaprakash Narayan Movement. He went to jail in June 1975 during the protest against
the Emergency (India) and stayed in the jail as a
political prisoner for a period of 19 months. After getting released from jail, he joined
Janata Party and was appointed National Secretary of its Youth League in
Uttar Pradesh. He has been elected to the
Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly multiple times. He was elected to
Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh in March 2018. • He first entered the
Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly in the year 1977 on the Janata Party Janata Party ticket. He became the
Minister for Higher Education and Hill Development. • In 1985, Bajpai was re-elected to the
Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly and was made the
Chief Whip of that assembly. • In 1989, he was Education Minister in the
Uttar Pradesh Government. • In 1992, he became a founding member of the newly formed
Samajwadi Party and won with a wide margin in the state elections. • In 1996, he once again became M.L.A from
Hardoi. • From 1998 to 2002, he successfully chaired the Lok Lekha Samiti (Public Accounts Committee) four times consecutively. • In 2003, he was re-elected M.L.A from Hardoi district. • In 2003, he held the office of Minister for Food and Civil Supplies in the Government of Uttar Pradesh . • From 2004 to 2007 he was the Cabinet Minister for Agriculture and Religious Work . • In 2016, he was elected to
Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council. He resigned from the council in August 2017. • In 2018, he was elected to
Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh. == Published books ==