Kalyan Singh

Kalyan Singh (born 5 January 1932) is a former Governor of Rajasthan and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in India, belonging to Bharatiya Janata Party.

Kalyan Singh
21st Governor of Rajasthan
In office
4 September 2014  8 September 2019
Preceded byMargaret Alva
Succeeded byKalraj Mishra
Governor of Himachal Pradesh
(Additional charge)
In office
28 January 2015  12 August 2015
Preceded byUrmila Singh
Succeeded byAcharya Devvrat
Member of Parliament for Lok Sabha
In office
2009–2014
Preceded byDevendra Singh Yadav
Succeeded byRajveer Singh
ConstituencyEtah, U.P.
16th Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
In office
24 June 1991  6 December 1992
Preceded byMulayam Singh Yadav
Succeeded byPresident's Rule
In office
21 September 1997  12 November 1999
Preceded byMayawati
Succeeded byRam Prakash Gupta
Personal details
Born (1932-01-05) 5 January 1932
Atrauli, United Provinces, British India
Political partyBharatiya Janata Party
Spouse(s)
Ramwati Devi
(m. 1952)
Children1 son and 1 daughter
As of 20 January, 2009
Source:

Kalyan Singh was born to Tejpal Singh Lodhi and Sita on 5 January 1932. He has served two terms as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and several terms as MLA for Atrauli for Jana Sangh, Janata Party, and Bharatiya Janata Party. He was appointed Governor of Rajasthan on 26 August 2014.[1]

Career

First term as Chief Minister

Singh first became the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh in June 1991. A year later, the controversial Babri Masjid was demolished by a large group of protesters and Hindu right wing activists aided by right wing political parties.[2]

Role in demolition of Babri Masjid

According to the chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Babri Masjid demolition case, just after becoming chief minister, he, with his colleagues, "visited Ayodhya and took a vow to construct Ram temple there itself."[3] In October 1991, his government acquired 2.77 acres (11,200 m2) of land around the "Babri Masjid Complex" under a government notification for the purpose of "promoting tourism". In July 1992, the Sangh Parivar laid the foundation for the proposed Ram temple by digging around the Babri Masjid and filling the area with 10-foot (3.0 m)-thick layer of reinforced cement concrete. Kalyan Singh's government called it a "platform" for performing bhajans while the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) declared it as the foundation for Ram temple.[4]

Kar Seva was supposed to be conducted in Ayodhya on 6 December 1992 and he filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court that as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, he will not allow any damage to the mosque.[5] However, Kar Sevaks demolished Babri mosque on that day. Taking the moral responsibility, he resigned from the post of Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in the evening. Later, Union government dissolved Uttar Pradesh assembly.

Post-Babri politics

He contested assembly elections to Uttar Pradesh assembly in November 1993 from two constituencies, namely Atrauli and Kasganj and won from both. As Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party combine formed the government in the state under the chief ministership of Mulayam Singh Yadav, even though the BJP won the most votes and increased its vote share[6] Kalyan Singh served as Leader of Opposition in the assembly.

He later served as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh again between September 1997 and November 1999. This government of his "insisted that all primary classes should begin the day with a worship of Bharat Mata and that Vande Mataram should substitute 'Yes Sir' during roll call".[7] In February 1998, his government withdrew cases against those who were associated with Ram Janmabhoomi movement and said that a "Ram temple will be constructed at the same site if the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power at the centre".[8] He also promised to create Uttarakhand within 90 days if BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the Prime Minister.[9]

On 21 October 1997, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) withdrew support to Kalyan Singh government. Kalyan Singh, who was already in touch with disgruntled Indian National Congress Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), Naresh Agrawal, contacted him and Agrawal immediately rushed to his support with 21 other MLAs having hurriedly formed a new party, Vinay Sharam the Akhil Bharatiya Loktantrik Congress.[10] For this, he was given the energy portfolio in the new cabinet.

On 21 February 1998, his government was dismissed and Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Romesh Bhandari invited Jagdambika Pal to form the new government when the same Naresh Agrawal withdrew support to Kalyan Singh's government and became deputy chief minister in Jagdambika's short-lived government.[11] The order was stayed by a division bench of the Allahabad High Court which directed the status quo ante bellum to be maintained thus reinstating his government.[12] After this decision, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who had gone on fast unto death in protest against the governor's order called off his fast and said that the court's verdict was a "well-deserved slap in the face of the governor".[13]

Naresh Agrawal, who had become deputy chief minister in Jagdambika Pal's government, returned to BJP fold after the court order. When Kalyan Singh successfully proved his majority on the floor of the assembly with the support of Agrawal as well as some BSP rebels, Agrawal claimed that he had succeeded in proving that only his party could provide a stable government.[10] The BSP rebels were to be rewarded with ministerial berths[14] and this was duly done within days.

He left the party in December 1999 and rejoined in January 2004.[15] He contested the 2004 Lok Sabha elections on the BJP ticket from Bulandshahar. Before the LokSabha election of 2009 he left BJP and contest election from Etah LokSabha seat as an independent and subsequently won it.

It had been reported that Kalyan Singh is expected to join BJP and is to be appointed as a Vice-President of Bharatiya Janata Party.[16] His son Rajveer Singh have also been a Member of Legislative Assembly for a term.

The Liberhan Commission gave clean chit to then PM Rao but criticized CM Kalyan Singh and his government for pre-planned mannered events, misuse of power, attracting youth for support, and allowing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to run the state government directly.

By 2019, he rejoined BJP.[17]

Defections

Singh resigned his post and party membership on 20 January 2009.[18] After meetings with Samajwadi Party leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh, Singh announced that he would campaign for the SP in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.[19] Meanwhile, his son Rajveer Singh, one of the main reasons of his disenchantment with the BJP, joined the Samajwadi Party.[20]

On 14 November 2009, Mulayam Singh Yadav said that the poor performance of the party at the Firozabad Lok Sabha by-election was due to the loss of Muslim support because of Kalyan Singh.[21] In January 2010, he announced the formation of a new Hindutva-oriented political party, the Jan Kranti Party, but chose to take the role of patron while his son became the leader.[22]

Governor of Rajasthan

Singh was sworn in as Governor of Rajasthan on 4 September 2014.[23]

See also

References

  1. "Press Releases Detail - The President of India".
  2. Liberhans commission report - full text (via The Hindu). Government of India. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  3. "Ruling on Ayodhya charge-sheet soon". Indian Express. 26 April 1998. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
  4. "The 'Ram temple' drama". Frontline. July 1998. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
  5. "Lessons of December 6, 1992". Indian Express. 6 December 1998. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
  6. Kalyan Singh, Ayodhya and Hindu resurgence Archived 29 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine Niti Central - 25 November 2012
  7. "Goodbye to Akhand Bharat". Indian Express. 5 January 1998. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
  8. "Quicktakes". Indian Express. 3 February 1998. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
  9. "Uttarakhand rhetoric fails to please". Indian Express. 22 February 1998. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
  10. "Sultan of somersaults". Indian Express. 1 March 1998. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
  11. "Kalyan Singh sacked, Jagdambika Pal CM". rediff.com. 21 February 1998. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
  12. "Court reinstates Kalyan Singh". rediff.com. 23 February 1998. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
  13. "Vajpayee calls off fast, asks Bhandari to quit". rediff.com. 23 February 1998. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
  14. "BSP rebels may get berth in UP cabinet". Indian Express. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
  15. Srivastava, Rajiv (17 December 2012). "Kalyan Singh's homecoming to BJP after January 14 - The Times of India". Times Internet. Times of India. TNN. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  16. "Kalyan Singh's homecoming to BJP after January 14". The Times of India. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
  17. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/kalyan-singhs-re-entry-to-bjp-a-boost-to-hindutva-agenda-in-uttar-pradesh/articleshow/71058743.cms
  18. "Politics/Nation". The Times of India. 20 January 2009.
  19. "Kalyan to campaign for SP". Hindustan Times. Chennai, India. PTI. 21 January 2009.
  20. Updated Tuesday, 19 August 2014 12:08 AM IST. "Manorama Online | Home". Week.manoramaonline.com. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  21. Khan, Atiq (16 November 2009). "Kalyan Singh calls Mulayam an 'opportunist'". The Hindu. Chennai, India.
  22. "Kalyan's son to lead new party". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 6 January 2010. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  23. "Kalyan Singh sworn-in as 20th Governor of Rajasthan". The Indian Express. PTI. 4 September 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
Lok Sabha
Preceded by
Chhatrapal Singh Lodha
Member of Parliament
for Bulandshahr

2004 – 2009
Succeeded by
Kamlesh Balmiki
Preceded by
Devendra Singh Yadav
Member of Parliament
for Etah

2009 – 2014
Succeeded by
Rajveer Singh
Political offices
Preceded by
Mulayam Singh Yadav
Chief minister of Uttar Pradesh
24 June 1991 – 6 December 1992
Succeeded by
President's rule
Preceded by
Mayawati
Chief minister of Uttar Pradesh
21 September 1997 – 12 November 1999
Succeeded by
Ram Prakash Gupta
Preceded by
Ram Naik
Additional Charge
Governor of Rajasthan
4 September 2014 – 8 September 2019
Succeeded by
Kalraj Mishra
Preceded by
Urmila Singh
Governor of Himachal Pradesh
28 January 2015 – 12 August 2015
Succeeded by
Acharya Devvrat
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