Chandra Shekhar Singh (1 July 1927 – 8 July 2007) was an Indian politician who served as the 8th Prime Minister of India, between 10 November 1990 and 21 June 1991. He got the title of Young Turk because of his impartiality.
Early Life
Chandra Shekhar Singh was born on 1 July 1927, in Uttar Pradesh, India. He got a Bachelor of Arts degree (graduate) from Satish Chandra P.G. College. In 1950, he received a master’s in political science from Allahabad University.
Career
His political career began with Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia when he was a student. He’s a firebrand idealist who’s fervently revolutionary. When he finished his education, he joined the Socialist Movement and became the district secretary for Praja Socialist Party (PSP), Ballia. Soon he was General Secretary of the party in Uttar Pradesh.
As an independent candidate from Uttar Pradesh, he got elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1962. He joined Indian National Congress in 1965 and became Congress Parliamentary Party’s General Secretary in 1967. As an INC candidate from Uttar Pradesh, he ran for Rajya Sabha again in 1968.
In 1969, he started and edited YOUNG INDIAN. He was the Chairman of its Editorial Advisory Board. Young Indian was closed during the Emergency and resumed publishing in February 1989.
After being elected to Lok Sabha from Ballia, he resigned from Rajya Sabha on 2 March 1977. Except for 1984, he won all the Lok Sabha elections from 1977 to 2004.
Despite being a Congress politician, he was put in prison by Indira Gandhi under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act. A diary he wrote during his jail term was published as ‘Meri Jail Diary’.
He joined the Janata Party, which formed the government under Morarji Desai, after the 1977 Indian General Election. During that time, Chandrashekhar was the Janata Party’s president.
In 1980 and 1984, Janata Party didn’t do well in Indian General Elections. The Janata Party formed a coalition government in 1984 under V.P. Singh. In the end, Chandrashekhar formed the Janata Dal socialist faction after his relationship with the coalition deteriorated.
In 1983, he walked 4260 km from Kanyakumari to Rajghat (Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi) in New Delhi, to reconnect with the masses and understand their problems.
In November 1990, he ousted V. P. Singh with the help of the Congress. Rajiv Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition, and 64 other MPs supported him in a confidence motion, and he became Prime Minister. From 10 November 1990 to 21 June 1991, he was India’s 8th Prime Minister.
Death
He died on 8 July 2007, in New Delhi, India.
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