Chandra Shekhar

Chandra Shekhar (17 April 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 headed a minority government of a breakaway faction of the Janata Dal with outside support from the Indian National Congress.

He was the first Indian Prime Minister who had never held any prior government office.

His government was formed with the fewest party MPs in the Lok Sabha.

His government could not pass the budget at a crucial time when Moody had downgraded India, and it further went down after the budget was not passed, and global credit-rating agencies further downgraded India from investment grade, making it impossible to even get short-term loans, and in no position to give any commitment to reform, the World Bank and IMF stopped their assistance.

Shekhar had to authorise mortgaging of gold to avoid default of payment, and this action came in for particular criticism, as it was done secretly in the midst of the election.

Chandra Shekhar was born on 17 April 1927 in a Rajput family at Ibrahimpatti, a village in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh.

He came from a farming family.

He was awarded a Bachelor of Arts (graduate) degree at Satish Chandra P.G. College.

He attended Allahabad University, obtaining his master's degree in political science in 1950.

He was known as a firebrand in student politics and started his political career with Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia.

After completing his graduation, he became active in socialist politics.

Chandra Shekhar married Duja Devi.

In 1955–56, he took over as general secretary of the party in the State.

His career as a parliamentarian began with his election to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh in 1962.

He came under the spell of Acharya Narendra Dev, a fiery Socialist leader at the beginning of his political career.

From 1962 to 1977, Shekhar was a member of Rajya Sabha, the Upper house of the Parliament of India.

He was elected to Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh on 3 April 1962 as an independent candidate and completed his tenure on 2 April 1968.

From 1962 to 1967, he was a member of the Rajya Sabha.

He joined Congress in 1964.

After this, he was re-elected twice to Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh as an INC candidate from 3 April 1968 to 2 April 1974 and from 3 April 1974 to 2 April 1980.

As a member of the Congress Party, he vehemently criticised Indira Gandhi for her declaration of emergency in 1975.

Chandrashekhar was arrested during the emergency and sent to prison along with other "young turks".

He resigned from Rajya Sabha on 2 March 1977 after he had been elected to Lok Sabha from Ballia.

When the emergency was declared, even though he was a Congress party politician, he was arrested and sent to Patiala jail.

Chandra Shekhar was a prominent leader of the socialists.

He first entered the Lok Sabha in 1977.

He came to be known as a 'young Turk' for his conviction and courage in the fight against the vested interests.

The other 'young Turks', who formed the 'ginger group' in the Congress in the fight for egalitarian policies, included leaders like Feroze Gandhi, Satyendra Narayan Sinha, Mohan Dharia and Ram Dhan.

Chandra Shekhar went on a nationwide padayatra in 1983 from Kanyakumari to New Delhi, to know the country better, which he claimed gave jitters to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

He was called a "Young Turk".

He travelled nearly 4,260 km and nearly six months.

Chandra Shekhar started his Bharat Yatra from Kanyakumari on 6, the same day that his party, Janata Party was swept to power in Karnataka.

The 1991 Indian economic crisis and the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi plunged his government into crisis.

But according to Subramanian Swamy, finance minister Yashwant Sinha mortgaged gold reserves without informing the Commerce Ministry (which was headed by Swamy).

But granting the permission for US military planes to refuel in Indian airports during the Gulf War improved the Prime Minister's image with the West.

Duja Devi Degree College, a college founded in 1999 in Ballia district, Uttar Pradesh is named after her.

He had two sons with her, Pankaj Shekhar Singh and Neeraj Shekhar.

He joined the socialist movement and was elected secretary of the district Praja Socialist Party (PSP), Ballia.

Within a year, he was elected joint secretary of the PSP's State unit in Uttar Pradesh.