Vishwanath Pratap Singh was the 7th Prime Minister of India. He was on born 25 June, 1931 in the Royal family of Manda. He was the 41st Raja Bahadur of Manda. He was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, appointed by Indira Gandhi.
Early Life of Vishwanath Pratap Singh
Vishwanath Pratap Singh studied at Colonel Brown Cambridge School, Dehradun for five years, and made his debut in local politics in Allahabad during the Nehru era. Singh married Rani Sita Kumari, daughter of Rawat Sangram Singh II of Deogarhon 25 June 1955. He soon made a name for himself in the state Congress Party for his unfailing rectitude, a reputation that he would carry with him throughout his career.
Career of Vishwanath Pratap Singh
Singh entered local politics in Allahabad in the Nehru government. V.P. Singh made a reputation that he would carry with him throughout his career. He was chosen by Indira Gandhi to serve as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 1980.
Singh wished to move forward nationally on social justice-related issues, which would in addition consolidate the caste coalition that supported the Janata Dal (secular) in North India, and accordingly decided to implement the recommendations of the Mandal Commission which stated that a fixed quota of all jobs in the public sector be reserved for members of the historically disadvantaged so-called Other Backward Classes. This decision led to widespread protests among the youth in urban areas in North India.
In the Deve Gowda and I.K. Gujral governments, Singh acted as a sort of elder statesman and advisor for the successors to the National Front coalition. He was diagnosed with cancer in 1998 and therefore ceased his public appearances.
When his cancer went into remission in 2003, he once again became a visible figure; he re-formed the Jan Morcha in 2005, and began the slow process of aggregation of smaller parties in the North with a view to contesting the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha elections scheduled for 2007. He passed away on 28th November, 2008.
