Raj Narain
| Raj Narain | |
|---|---|
| Health Minister of India | |
|
In office March 1977 – January 1979 |
|
| President | Basappa Danappa Jatti and Neelam Sanjiva Reddy |
| Prime Minister | Morarji Desai |
| Succeeded by | Rabi Ray |
| Constituency | Rai Bareli |
Raj Narain (November 1917-31 Dec 1986) was an Indian freedom fighter and politician. He won in a famous electoral malpractice case against the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, which led to her disqualification and imposition of Emergency in India in 1975. He defeated Indira Gandhi during the 1977 Lok Sabha elections.
Raj Narain was son of Anant Prasad Singh, was born on Kartik Akshaya Navami of 1917 in an affluent family in the village named Motikoat, Gangapur in Varanasi. He was from the Royal family of Varanasi and directly associated with the family of Maharaja Chet Singh and Maharaja Balwant Singh, who were kings of Varanasi, over a century back. He was educated at Banaras Hindu University, and did M.A. and LL.B.
A Political and Social worker he organized a school for adults, a girls school, a study centre and a labour organization and became member of Congress Socialist Party, in 1934, and National Committee of Students Federation, 1939-44.He was President of the Banaras University Mandal Congress Committee and Member of District Congress Committee(D.C.C.).
He was president of Student Congress during 1942 Quit India movement, and led protests in and around Varanasi district in UP. Initially he was "underground" for three months and later arrested on 28 September 1942, during Quit India Movement and detained till 1945.
He was imprisoned 58 times for a period totaling about 15 years in connection with students' and socialist movements.
When India became independent, Raj Narain joined Socialist Party led by Acharya Narendra Deva, Jayprakash Narayan and Dr Rammanohar Lohia and held many party positions including Secretary Ship of UP Socialist Party, 1948-51. He was very close to his Guru Acharya Narendra Deva and Dr.Rammanohar Lohia.Dr. Lohia described him as "a person who has heart of a Lion and practices of Gandhi". Dr. Lohia admired him a lot, and even said that "if in India there could be just three or four persons like him, dictatorship can never shadow the democracy".
He was elected to Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 1952 and was Leader of Opposition"in the Assembly until 1962.The parties he was affiliated with included CSP,1934–48, Socialist Party, 1948-52, Praja Socialist Party,1952-1955.Socialist Party,1956-64.Samyukta Socialist Party,1964-72.Socialist Party, 1971-72, Socialist Party(Lohia) 1972-74, Bhartiya Lok Dal, 1974-77.Janata Party, 1977–79, Janata Party (S), 1979-80. Democratic Socialist Party, 1981-83.Janata Party, 1983–84, and Socialist Party 1984 till his death in 1986. Party positions he held included, Member National Executive, PSP, 1954-55. Chairman, Socialist Party,1961-64. He was Member of the Rajya Sabha, 1966–72 and 1974-77. Raj Narain opposed policies and practices of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and stood in 1971 Lok Sabha elections from Rai Bareli, as an SSP Candidate, although he suffered a defeat from her in 1971 elections but he accused Indira Gandhi of corrupt electoral practices and filed an election petition against her. The Allahabad High Court on 12 June 1975 upheld the accusations and set aside the election of Indira Gandhi and also disqualified her to contest Lok Sabha election for next 6 years, which led to the imposition of Emergency in India. Nationwide protest started and streets were flooded with people under the leadership of Loknayak Jai Prakash Narayan and Raj Narain.This was biggest drama of Indian politics after independence with Raj Narain as one of the main protagonist.
...
Wikipedia