Kalayan Singh

Kalyan Singh

Kalayan Singh (born 5 January 1932) is an Indian politician from the state of Uttar Pradesh. He has served 3 times as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

Early life

Kalyan Singh was born in Lodhi Rajput family of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.

Political career

First term as Chief Minister

He first became the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh in June 1991.

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 Ramjanmabhoomi and took a vow to construct Ram temple there itself.” In October 1991, his government acquired 2.77 acres (11,200 m2) of land around the “Shree Ram Janmabhoomi 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.

Kar Seva was supposed to be conducted in Ayodhya on December 6, 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. 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.

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, 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”.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”. He also promised to create Uttarakhand within 90 days if BJP leader Atal Behari Vajpayee became the Prime Minister.

On October 21, 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, the Loktantrik Congress. For this, he was given the energy portfolio in the new cabinet.

On February 21, 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.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.After this decision, Atal Behari 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….”

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 audaciously claimed that he had succeeded in proving that only his party could provide a stable government.The BSP rebels were to be rewarded with ministerial berths and this was duly done within days.

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.

Kalyan Singh has recently been appointed as a Vice-President of Bharatiya Janata Party. He has one son, Raj Vir Singh, who was also a Member of Legislative Assembly for one time. He lost last assembly election in 2007 from Dibai to BSP rival, Guddu Pandit. He remained Health Minister of the state for about 6 months during Mulayam Singh Yadav Government (2003–2007). His wife Premlata Verma is a sitting MLA from Atrauli Assembly Constituency.

Defections

He left the party for the first time in December 1999 and returned to it in January, 2004 before the Lok Sabha elections.

Second time,The former Chief Minister and national Vice President of the BJP Kalyan Singh resigned from his post and the primary membership of the party on Tuesday, January 20, 2009.Next day after meeting Samajwadi Party leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh, Kalyan Singh announced that he would campaign for the SP in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. Meanwhile his son Rajveer Singh, one of the main reasons of his disenchantment with the BJP, joined the Samajwadi Party.

On November 14, Mulayam Singh Yadav had said that the reason for the poor performance of the party at the Firozabad by-election to the Lok Sabha had been the loss of Muslim support because of Mr Kalyan Singh. On November 15, 2009, the day after the public humiliation by Yadav, Kalyan Singh reaffirmed his allegiance to the BJP and the Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh, although the BJP was not too keen to welcome him back. His son also formally resigned as the national general secretary of the Samajwadi Party.

New party

Kalyan Singh announced formation of his new Jan Kranti Party on his birthday , he would work as its “patron”. A former BJP leader, Kalyan Singh has fallen out with the BJP in recent years. He was loosely associated with the Samajwadi Party during the 2009 general elections. He virtually signalled his retirement from politics on Tuesday when he handed over the reins of his new political outfit, Jan Kranti Party, to his son Rajveer Singh, who was named the national president.