Tapir Gao is an Indian politician representing the Bhartiya Janata Party in East Arunachal Pradesh. He is a recognized political leader with a multifaceted career largely centered around public service.

Gao’s career in politics spans several decades- during which he has been a member of the Bhartiya Janata Party while contesting at the state and national level. He started out in politics at a young age- becoming President of the Youth Congress (Student wing of Indian National Congress) in Arunachal Pradesh in 1994 after being involved with them for a few years.

However, he decided to switch his political allegiance from the grand old party to the Bhartiya Janata Party in 1999 where he assumed the role of a member of the State Executive of the BJP. He then went on to serve as a member of the BJP National Council from 1999-2003, and ascended to the position of Vice- President of the party in Arunachal Pradesh- a role he fulfilled from 2003-2004.

His foray into national level politics culminated on his election to the 14th Lok Sabha in 2004, where he contested from East Arunachal Pradesh on a BJP ticket. His victory in the election marked the commencement of his career as a parliamentarian, where he actively participated in debates and maintained an excellent attendance record in almost all sessions of parliament.

Gao has also notably served on several parliamentary committees- ranging from the Committee on home affairs, Development of North Eastern Region (DONER), and the Consultative Committee on Civil Aviation.

Through the course of his career as a politician from Arunachal Pradesh, Gao has remained committed to putting his people first and advancing their interests at the highest level possible. He has advocated for improved healthcare facilities, better connectivity and increased investment into infrastructural development in remote areas in Arunachal Pradesh, recognizing the specialized challenges faced by them due to their location and terrain.

His political career faced setbacks in 2009 and 2014 when he lost the election, but his party backed him as their candidate once again in the 2019 election, where he made a remarkable comeback claiming the East Arunachal Pradesh Lok Sabha seat and reclaiming his position of prominence in the state.