Ajit Singh | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Singh in 2012 | |
| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
| In office 6 October 1999 – 16 May 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Sompal Shastri |
| Succeeded by | Satyapal Singh |
| In office 1989–1998 | |
| Preceded by | Charan Singh |
| Succeeded by | Sompal Shastri |
| Constituency | Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh |
| Minister of Civil Aviation | |
| In office 18 December 2011 – 26 May 2014 | |
| Prime Minister | Manmohan Singh |
| Preceded by | Vayalar Ravi |
| Succeeded by | Ashok Gajapathi Raju |
| Minister of Agriculture | |
| In office 22 July 2001 – 24 May 2003 | |
| Prime Minister | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Preceded by | Nitish Kumar |
| Succeeded by | Rajnath Singh |
| Minister of Food | |
| In office 10 February 1995 – 16 May 1996 | |
| Prime Minister | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| Preceded by | Tarun Gogoi |
| Succeeded by | Dilip Ray |
| Minister of Industry | |
| In office 6 December 1989 – 10 November 1990 | |
| Prime Minister | V. P. Singh |
| Preceded by | Dinesh Singh |
| Succeeded by | Pranab Mukherjee |
| President of Janata Party | |
| In office 1988–1990 | |
| Preceded by | Chandra Shekhar |
| Succeeded by | Subramanian Swamy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1939-02-12)12 February 1939 |
| Died | 6 May 2021(2021-05-06) (aged 82)[1] |
| Party | Rashtriya Lok Dal |
| Other political affiliations | |
| Spouse | Radhika Singh (m. 1967) |
| Children | 3, includingJayant Chaudhary |
| Parents |
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| Alma mater | |
Ajit Singh (12 February 1939 – 6 May 2021)[2] was an Indian politician, farmer leader, and founder of theRashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), a regional political party rooted in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, dedicated to advocating farmers’ rights and rural interests.[3] Singh entered theRajya Sabha in 1986 and later representedBaghpat in theLok Sabha across seven terms between 1989 and 2014, navigating multiple party affiliations including theJanata Dal, Lok Dal (Ajit), and eventuallyRashtriya Lok Dal, which he established in 1996.[4] He held several Union cabinet positions -Minister of Industry (1989–1990),Minister of Food (1995–1996),Minister of Agriculture (2001–2003), andMinister of Civil Aviation (2011–2014)- reflecting his influence in both economic and rural policy domains.[5][6]
Born inMeerut,Uttar Pradesh, to former prime ministerCharan Singh, he inherited a legacy of agrarian advocacy but initially pursued a career in technology, earning aB.Tech fromIIT Kharagpur and an M.S. from theIllinois Institute of Technology, followed by a 15-year stint atIBM. A key figure in coalition politics, Singh’s career was marked by his commitment to agricultural reforms and strategic alliances, notably with the BJP and Congress, until his death fromCOVID-19 in 2021.[7][8] His son,Jayant Chaudhary, succeeded him as RLD president, continuing his political lineage.[9]
Ajit Singh was born on 12 February 1939 in Bhadola village,Meerut district, United Provinces (now part ofUttar Pradesh andUttarakhand), toGayatri Devi andCharan Singh, prime minister of India from 1979 to 1980. He grew up in aHinduJat family which was deeply rooted in politics and agriculture. He completed his early schooling inMeerut, before pursuing higher education. Singh earned aBachelor of Science degree fromLucknow University and went on to study at theIndian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur), where he obtained aBachelor of Technology. He furthered his education abroad, securing aMaster of Science from theIllinois Institute of Technology in United States. After his studies, Singh worked in the computer industry in the US for 15 years, including a notable stint with IBM during the 1960s and early 1970s, before returning to India and entering politics in 1986.[10][11]
Singh was one of the most dynamic leaders of India, especially worked for farmers and on the economic condition of India.[citation needed] When he was Commerce and Industry Minister inV. P. Singh's government, he drafted and tried to pass the bill againstLicense Raj, which was unsuccessful since most of the parties were against it. When theChandra Shekhar Government fell, prime ministerP.V Narasimha Rao and Finance MinisterManmohan Singh passed the same bill in the Parliament.[citation needed] This bill was one of the major reforms of Indian history better known as theLiberalization reforms of India, which opened the country for the Global market.[12]
Ajit Singh entered into politics in May 1986 by joiningLok Dal. He was made general secretary and a member of central parliamentary board ofLok Dal.[13][14] Within months of joining politics, he removedMulayam Singh Yadav from the position of Lok Dal legislature party leader inUttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly.[13]
Ajit Singh was first elected toRajya Sabha (the upper house ofIndian Parliament) in 1986 after his father and former prime minister Charan Singh became ill. He was the President of Lok Dal (A). In 1988, he merged Lok Dal (A) withJanata Party and became president of Janata Party.[15] In 1989, he was General Secretary ofJanata Dal after all the parties decided to merge under the leadership of VP Singh to take on theIndian National Congress. Ajit Singh brought in most political strength from Uttar Pradesh toVP Singh during that election.[16]
He was elected toLok Sabha (the lower house ofIndian Parliament) fromBaghpat in 1989. He wasMinister of Industry in V. P. Singh'scabinet from December 1989 to November 1990.[16] He was re-elected to Lok Sabha in1991 Indian general election. He served as Minister of Food inP. V. Narasimha Rao'scabinet.[16]
Ajit Singh was re-elected in 1996 as a Congress candidate but resigned from the party and Lok Sabha in 1996. He then foundedBharatiya Kisan Kamgar Party and was re-elected in aBaghpat 1997 by-election.[17][18] In 1999, he relaunched his party with the nameRashtriya Lok Dal.[18][19] He lost the 1998 election and was re-elected in 1999, 2004 and 2009. From 2001 to 2003, he wasMinister of Agriculture inAtal Bihari Vajpayee's government.[16] After his party joined the rulingUnited Progressive Alliance in 2011, he wasMinister of Civil Aviation from December 2011 to May 2014.[16] In2019 Indian general election, He contested fromMuzaffarnagar but lost toSanjeev Balyan of BJP by a very small margin of 6526 votes.[20][21]
He was married to Radhika Singh, and had one son and two daughters.[16] His son,Jayant Chaudhary, was a member of the 15th Lok Sabha fromMathura, Uttar Pradesh.
Singh died on 6 May 2021 on 8:20 AMIST at the age of 82, due to complications fromCOVID-19. He had tested positive for COVID on 20 April 2021 and was admitted to a private hospital inGurugram, Haryana, where his condition deteriorated due to a lung infection. His son,Jayant Chaudhary, confirmed his death, noting that Singh “battled his condition till the very end.” Due to the ongoing covid pandemic, his cremation was a low-key affair in Delhi, attended only by close family members to comply with COVID-19 protocols. Singh’s death prompted widespread condolences from political leaders, including prime ministerNarendra Modi, who praised his dedication to farmers, and congress leaderRahul Gandhi, who expressed sorrow at the loss.[2][22]
| Lok Sabha | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forBaghpat 1989 – 1998 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forBaghpat 1999 – 2014 | Succeeded by |
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| Preceded by | Minister of Industry 5 December 1989 - 10 November 1990 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Agriculture 2 July 2001 - 23 May 2003 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Civil Aviation 8 December 2011 - 26 May 2014 | Succeeded by |
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