Chandra Shekhar became PM sans any ministerial experience

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, July 9 (UNI) Eleventh Prime Minister of India Chandra Shekhar, who passed away here yesterday after a long illness, never held any official post in almost four decades of his political career prior to taking over the premiership in 1990.

Chandra Shekhar, who started his political career with the Praja Socialist Party (PSP) in 1951, joined the Congress in 1965.

Known as a fire-brand idealist with revolutionary fervour, he was in the forefront of the party's 'Young Turk' group -- along with Krishan Kant, Mohan Dharia and Ram Dhan -- who earlier championed the socialistic policies of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, but later opposed.

The final break came with the imposition of Emergency, which he vehemently opposed, and led to his imprisonment, even though he was a member of the Congress Working Committee and its Central Election Committee then.

After his release and the lifting of the Emergency in 1977, he left the Congress and joined hands with Jaya Prakash Narayan to set up the Janata Party, which became a focus of anti-Congress groups, and dethroned the ruling party in the 1977 elections to form the first non-Congress government at the Centre. However, Chandra Shekhar did not take any post in the government, led by Morarji Desai, despite winning his first Lok Sabha election from his home district Ballia, a feat he replicated in all subsequent general elections save 1984.

When the Janata Dal, led by VP Singh, dethroned the Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress in the 1989 elections to form the government with support of the BJP and the Left, Chandra Shekhar was a strong contender for the Prime Ministership but was outmanoeuvred.

When then BJP president L K Advani was arrested during the Rath Yatra, he had undertaken for Ramjanambhoomi movement in October 1990, the saffron party withdrew support to the V P Singh-led National Front government, reducing it to a minority and ultimately leading to the resignation of Mr Singh.

Chandra Shekhar then left the Janata Dal and, with many supporters, set up a new party called the Samajwadi Janata Dal.

With 54 MPs and support from the opposition Congress, his party formed the government, making him the first Prime Minister who had never held any official post in a long political career.

Sworn in as Prime Minister in November 1990, he deftly dealt with several national problems including the Ram Janambhoomi issue and communal riots in several parts of the country, the precarious foreign currency reserves and balance of payments (BOP) situation and the ongoing First Gulf War (1991).

Setting up a committee of Chief Ministers to fashion out a negotiated settlement to the Ayodhya mandir issue, Chandra Shekhar took a number of controversial decisions including sending Indian gold reserves aboard as a pledge for foreign loans to tide over the forex and BOP crisis. He also allowed American warplanes to refuel in India, a move that stirred up a major uproar and attracted much criticism, including from the Congress.

However, his government lasted only four months as the Congress, which had been distancing itself, threatened to withdraw support in February 1991. An outraged Chandra Shekhar, who had not been able to present a full-fledged budget at the insistence of the Congress, made a fiery speech in Parliament attacking the party and its leaders, charging them with ''political immaturity,'' before resigning.

He remained as caretaker Prime Minister till mid-term elections in May 1991, which were however postponed after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.

Virtually the only representative of his party, the Samajwadi Janata Party (SJP), in Parliament, the ex-Prime Minister effortlessly made the transition to an 'elder statesman', whose contributions were equally respected by all sections of the House. He was conferred the inaugural ''Outstanding Parliamentarian Award.'' UNI

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