Kalyan Singh: Punyatithi Special

Kalyan Singh is a well-known name in Indian politics. Kalyan Singh was a member of BJP and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Apart from this, he had also been the Governor of many states.

Birth and Early Life

Kalyan Singh was born on January 5, 1932 in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. His father's name was Tejpal Lodhi. Kalyan Singh's mother was Mrs. Sita Devi. Kalyan Singh, originally born in an ordinary farmer family in village Madhauli of Atrauli tehsil of Aligarh district, used to go to the branches of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh since childhood. Before entering politics, Kalyan Singh became a teacher in an inter college in Atrauli.

Biography of Kalyan Singh

Full NameKalyan Singh Lodhi
Father's nameTejpal Singh
Mother's nameShrimati Sita Devi
Date of birthJanuary 05, 1932
Birth placeMadhauli, Atrauli, Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh)
Marital statusMarried
Wife's NameSmt. Ramwati Devi
Son1
Daughter1
EducationB.A.
BusinessPolitician
DeathAugust 21, 2021

In Politics

Singh was associated with politics from the beginning due to his association with the Sangh. He contested his first election in 1962, which he lost. But due to this defeat he did not step back from his political journey. After this, Kalyan Singh contested the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections from Atrauli Assembly constituency in the year 1967. Thereafter he contested 10 consecutive elections from the same assembly constituency. Kalyan Singh won nine of these.

In the parliamentary and legislative elections held in 1991, BJP emerged as the largest party and was successful in forming the government in Uttar Pradesh. After this victory of BJP, Kalyan Singh became the Chief Minister for the first time in June 1991. For the second time, Kalyan Singh became the Chief Minister in 1996. Kalyan Singh was the Chief Minister when the Ram Mandir movement was at its peak and the Babri Masjid was demolished.

Due to differences in opinion in 1999, Kalyan Singh left BJP and formed 'Rashtriya Kranti Party'. In 2004, he returned to BJP in the presence of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In the same year, he reached Parliament for the first time by winning the parliamentary elections from Bulandshahr. Due to his dissatisfaction with BJP, Kalyan Singh again separated from the party, due to which in the year 2009, he got elected as an independent from Etah and became MP for the second time.

In March 2014, at the behest of Narendra Modi, Kalyan Singh again joined BJP. On his return to BJP, the party made him the national vice president. The Jan Kranti Party, which he founded in 2010, merged with the BJP in January 2013. In the last phase of his political career, he was made the Governor of Rajasthan and Himachal by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Death and respect

Kalyan Singh died at SGPGI on August 21, 2021, at the age of 89, after suffering from multi-organ failure. In January 2022, he was posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award.