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“I would be a disaster as a prime minister.”
(V P Singh)
Born in 25 June 1931 in a Rajput Family of Manda Kingdom in
Allahabad, Vishwanath Pratap Singh alias VP Singh was a centre
figure in Indian politics. He was the seventh Prime Minister
of India.
During his studies at Pune University, he became active in
politics and later elected as a member of Legislative Assembly
in 1969 from Indian National Congress. In 1971, he won election
to Lok Sabha and became deputy Minister of Commerce in 1974.
He served as the Minister of Commerce during the period of 1976–77.
In 1980, he had been appointed as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh
by then prime minister Indira Gandhi. In 1984, during the tenure
of Rajiv Gandhi he was invited to cabinet as Finance Minsiter.
During his ministry, V P Singh Managed to make a gradual relaxation
of the License Raj and reduction of gold smuggling.
In 1987, due to the conspiracy over Bofors weapon deal, V P
singh was dismissed from cabinet and in response, he resigned
his membership in Indian National Congress. Thereafter Singh
formed an opposition party named Jan Morcha associating with
Arun Nehru and Arif Mohammad Khan. He had re-elected to Lok
Sabha and later V P singh brought together all other opposition
parties to form Janata Dal and became the president of it.They
made an alliance with regional parties including the Dravida
Munnetra Kazhagam, Telugu Desam Party, and Asom Gana Parishad
to form National Front and VP Singh became the convenior. In
1989 election, National Front earned majority and VP singh sworn
in as the seventh prime minister of India on December 2, 1989.
Singh could continue his ministry for less than a year. But
during this time he took efforts to prevent plans of Pakistan
under Benazir Bhutto to start a border war with India. He visited
golden temple in Amritsar to ask public forgiveness for Operation
Blue Star. Later in 1990, during the Ram Janma Bhumi agitation,
Bharathiya Janata Party president L K Advani toured Northern
India to gather support. Before he could reach ayodhya, VP singh
ordered to arrest Advani on charges of spreading communial violence
and disturbing peace. This resulted in withdrewal of Bharathiya
Janata Party's support from National front causing the resignation
of VP on November 7, 1990.
In 1991, he retired from active politics and start touring
in various countries with the motto of speaking about matters
related to social injustice. He also utilize this time for popularizing
his paintings. In 1996, United Front won the general elections
and VP singh had been proposed as the post prime minister but
he declined it. In 1998, he was diagnosed by cancer and hence
reduced his public appearences. But in 2006, he return to active
politics and resumed his party Jan Morcha. In 2009 it has been
renamed as National Jan Morcha and merged with Indian National
Congress.
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