RashadWaltman14 at 15:34, 25 April 2026

2026-04-25T15:34:28Z

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{{Short description|Indian politician (1939–2021)}}
{{for|other with the name|Ajit Singh (disambiguation)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = The Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Shri Ajit Singh holding a Press Conference, in New Delhi on June 01, 2012 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Singh in 2012
| birth_date = {{birth date |1939|2|12|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Ghaziabad district, Uttar Pradesh|Bhadola]], [[United Provinces (1937–50)|United Provinces]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|05|06|1939|2|12|df=y}}<ref>{{cite web | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/rld-chief-ajit-singh-succumbs-to-covid/articleshow/82425914.cms | title=RLD chief Ajit Singh succumbs to Covid | publisher=[[The Times of India]] | work=Pankaj Shah | date=6 May 2021 | accessdate=6 May 2021}}</ref>
| death_place = [[Gurugram]], [[Haryana]], [[India]]
| father = [[Charan Singh]]
| mother = [[Gayatri Devi (Uttar Pradesh politician)|Gayatri Devi]]
| party = [[Rashtriya Lok Dal]]
| other_party = {{ubl|[[Indian National Congress]]|[[Janata Dal]]|[[Janata Party]]|[[Lok Dal]]}}

| office = [[Ministry of Civil Aviation (India)|Union Minister of Civil Aviation]]
| prime_minister = [[Manmohan Singh]]
| deputy = [[K. C. Venugopal]]
| term_start = 18 December 2011
| term_end = 26 May 2014
| predecessor = [[Vayalar Ravi]]
| successor = [[Ashok Gajapathi Raju]]

| office1 = [[Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare|Union Minister of Agriculture]]
| prime_minister1 = [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]]
| deputy1 = {{ubl|[[Thounaojam Chaoba Singh]]|[[Debendra Pradhan]]|[[Shripad Yesso Naik]]|[[Hukmdev Narayan Yadav]]}}
| term_start1 = 22 July 2001
| term_end1 = 24 May 2003
| predecessor1 = [[Nitish Kumar]]
| successor1 = [[Rajnath Singh]]

| office2 = [[Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution#Food (1991–1997)|Union Minister of Food]]
| prime_minister2 = [[P. V. Narasimha Rao]]
| term_start2 = 10 February 1995
| term_end2 = 16 May 1996
| predecessor2 = P. V. Narasimha Rao
| successor2 = [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]]

| office3 = [[Ministry of Commerce and Industry (India)#Minister of Industry (1950–1999)|Union Minister of Industry]]
| prime_minister3 = [[V. P. Singh]]
| deputy3 = [[Srikant Kumar Jena]]
| term_start3 = 6 December 1989
| term_end3 = 10 November 1990
| predecessor3 = [[Dinesh Singh (politician, born 1925)|Dinesh Singh]]
| successor3 = [[Pranab Mukherjee]]

| office4 = [[Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha]]
| predecessor4 = [[Sompal Shastri]]
| successor4 = [[Satya Pal Singh (Uttar Pradesh politician)|Satyapal Singh]]
| term_start4 = 6 October 1999
| term_end4 = 16 May 2014
| constituency4 = [[Baghpat Lok Sabha constituency|Baghpat]]
| predecessor5 = [[Charan Singh]]
| successor5 = [[Sompal Shastri]]
| term_start5 = 1 December 1989
| term_end5 = 5 March 1998
| constituency5 = [[Baghpat Lok Sabha constituency|Baghpat]]
| office6 = [[Janata Party|President of Janata Party]]
| term_start6 = 1988
| term_end6 = 1990
| predecessor6 = [[Chandra Shekhar]]
| successor6 = [[Subramanian Swamy]]
| alma_mater = {{ubl|[[University of Lucknow ]]|[[IIT Kharagpur]]|[[Illinois Institute of Technology]]}}
| spouse = Radhika Singh (m. 1967)
| children = 3, including [[Jayant Chaudhary]]
}}

'''Ajit Singh''' (12 February 1939 – 6 May 2021)<ref name="India Today Rashtriya Lok Dal chief and former Union minister Ajit Singh dies of Covid-19">{{cite news |title=Rashtriya Lok Dal chief and former Union minister Ajit Singh dies of Covid-19 |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/ajit-singh-rashtriya-lok-dal-covid-rld-union-minister-dies-1799361-2021-05-06 |access-date=6 May 2021 |work=India Today |language=en}}</ref> was an Indian politician, farmer leader, and founder of the [[Rashtriya Lok Dal]] (RLD), a regional political party rooted in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, dedicated to advocating farmers’ rights and rural interests.<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 May 2021 |title=RLD Chief Ajit Singh: Political career, age, wife, son, health, daughter and native place |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/information/story/rld-chief-ajit-singh-political-career-age-wife-son-health-daughter-and-native-place-1799481-2021-05-06 |access-date=9 March 2025 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref> Singh entered the [[Rajya Sabha]] in 1986 and later represented [[Baghpat Lok Sabha constituency|Baghpat]] in the [[Lok Sabha]] across seven terms between 1989 and 2014, navigating multiple party affiliations including the [[Janata Dal]], Lok Dal (Ajit), and eventually [[Rashtriya Lok Dal]], which he established in 1996.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hebbar |first=Nistula |date=6 May 2021 |title=Ajit Singh, an engineer-turned-politician who drew strength from rural Uttar Pradesh |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/rld-chief-ajit-singh-obituary/article34496024.ece |access-date=9 March 2025 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> He held several Union cabinet positions - [[Ministry of Commerce and Industry (India)|Minister of Industry]] (1989–1990), [[Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution|Minister of Food]] (1995–1996), [[Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare|Minister of Agriculture]] (2001–2003), and [[Ministry of Civil Aviation (India)|Minister of Civil Aviation]] (2011–2014)- reflecting his influence in both economic and rural policy domains.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Who is Ajit Singh? |url=https://www.ndtv.com/people/who-is-ajit-singh-567178 |access-date=9 March 2025 |website=www.ndtv.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=18 December 2011 |title=Ajit Singh - a political acrobat |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/north/story/ajit-singh-civil-aviation-minister-profile-149124-2011-12-17 |access-date=9 March 2025 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref>

Born in [[Meerut]], [[Meerut|Uttar Pradesh]], to former prime minister [[Charan Singh]], he inherited a legacy of agrarian advocacy but initially pursued a career in technology, earning a [[Bachelor of Technology|B.Tech]] from [[IIT Kharagpur]] and an M.S. from the [[Illinois Institute of Technology]], followed by a 15-year stint at [[IBM]]. A key figure in coalition politics, Singh’s career was marked by his commitment to agricultural reforms and strategic alliances, notably with the BJP and Congress, until his death from [[COVID-19]] in 2021.<ref>{{cite news |title=Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh dies of Covid-19 at Gurugram hospital |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/ajit-singh-dead-rashtriya-lok-dal-chief-covid-19-702802 |access-date=6 May 2021 |work=India TV News}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Rashtriya Lok Dal chief and former Union minister Ajit Singh dies of Covid-19 |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/ajit-singh-rashtriya-lok-dal-covid-rld-union-minister-dies-1799361-2021-05-06 |access-date=6 May 2021 |work=India Today}}</ref> His son, [[Jayant Chaudhary]], succeeded him as RLD president, continuing his political lineage.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 May 2021 |title=Jayant Chaudhary appointed as new RLD president |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/jayant-chaudhary-appointed-as-new-rld-president-1806820-2021-05-25 |access-date=9 March 2025 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Ajit Singh was born on 12 February 1939 in Bhadola village, [[Meerut district]], United Provinces (now part of [[Uttar Pradesh]] and [[Uttarakhand]]), to [[Gayatri Devi (Uttar Pradesh politician)|Gayatri Devi]] and [[Charan Singh]], prime minister of India from 1979 to 1980. He grew up in a [[Hindu]] [[Jat]] family which was deeply rooted in politics and agriculture. He completed his early schooling in [[Meerut]], before pursuing higher education. Singh earned a [[Bachelor of Science]] degree from [[University of Lucknow|Lucknow University]] and went on to study at the [[IIT Kharagpur|Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur]] (IIT Kharagpur), where he obtained a [[Bachelor of Technology]]. He furthered his education abroad, securing a [[Master of Science]] from the [[Illinois Institute of Technology]] in United States. After his studies, Singh worked in the computer industry in the US for 15 years, including a notable stint with IBM during the 1960s and early 1970s, before returning to India and entering politics in 1986.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ajit Singh: From IIT grad to India's beloved farm leader |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/ajit-singh-from-iit-grad-to-india-s-beloved-farm-leader-101620326993414.html |website=Hindustan Times}} “''Born on February 12, 1939, Singh obtained a B.Tech (Computer Science) from IIT- Kharagpur and MS from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He worked as a computer scientist in the US for 15 years before he took a plunge in politics to fill the vacuum created by the death of his father in 1987.''”</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=6 May 2021 |title=Ajit Singh, IITian-turned-politician who was a champion of farmer rights - CNBC TV18 |url=https://www.cnbctv18.com/politics/ajit-singh-an-iitian-turned-politician-who-was-a-champion-of-farmer-rights-9214311.htm |access-date=9 March 2025 |website=CNBCTV18 |language=en}}</ref>

==Political career==
Singh was one of the most dynamic leaders of India, especially worked for farmers and on the economic condition of India.{{Citation needed|date=August 2025}} When he was Commerce and Industry Minister in [[V. P. Singh ministry|V. P. Singh]]'s government, he drafted and tried to pass the bill against [[License Raj]], which was unsuccessful since most of the parties were against it. When the [[Chandra Shekhar]] Government fell, prime minister [[P. V. Narasimha Rao|P.V Narasimha Rao]] and Finance Minister [[Manmohan Singh]] passed the same bill in the Parliament.{{Citation needed|date=December 2021}} This bill was one of the major reforms of Indian history better known as the [[Economic liberalisation in India|Liberalization reforms of India]], which opened the country for the Global market.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thelallantop.com/kisse/political-kissa-of-rld-chief-chaudhary-ajit-singh-son-of-former-pm-chaudhary-charan-singh-who-was-an-iitian-but-later-joined-politics/ | title=Who was Chaudhary Ajit Singh | publisher=[[The Lallantop]] | work=Shaurya Kharb | date=6 May 2021 | accessdate=6 May 2021}}</ref>

Ajit Singh entered into politics in May 1986 by joining [[Lokdal|Lok Dal]]. He was made general secretary and a member of central parliamentary board of [[Lokdal|Lok Dal]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Dutt |first=Anuradha |date=8 March 1987 |title=Taking Charge : Ajit Singh's display of power |pages=564 |work=The Illustrated Weekly of India |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.12254/page/n563/mode/2up?view=theater}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sordid struggle for succession on within Lok Dal family |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19860815-sordid-struggle-for-succession-on-within-lok-dal-family-801129-1986-08-14 |access-date=13 February 2023 |website=India Today |date=15 August 1986 |language=en}}</ref> Within months of joining politics, he removed [[Mulayam Singh Yadav]] from the position of Lok Dal legislature party leader in [[Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly]].<ref name=":0" />

Ajit Singh was first elected to [[Rajya Sabha]] (the upper house of [[Indian Parliament]]) in 1986 after his father and former prime minister Charan Singh became ill. He was the President of Lok Dal (A). In 1988, he merged Lok Dal (A) with [[Janata Party]] and became president of Janata Party.<ref>{{Cite web|date=15 June 1998|first=Prabhu|last=Chawla|title=Ajit Singh catapulted as Janata Party president|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19880615-ajit-singh-catapulted-as-janata-party-president-797348-1988-06-15|access-date=29 January 2022|website=India Today|language=en|archive-date=29 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220129165116/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19880615-ajit-singh-catapulted-as-janata-party-president-797348-1988-06-15|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1989, he was General Secretary of [[Janata Dal]] after all the parties decided to merge under the leadership of VP Singh to take on the [[Indian National Congress]]. Ajit Singh brought in most political strength from Uttar Pradesh to [[Vishwanath Pratap Singh|VP Singh]] during that election.<ref name="bio">{{Cite web |title=Official biographical sketch in Parliament of India website |url=http://164.100.47.132/LssNew/Members/Biography.aspx?mpsno=14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130201163047/http://164.100.47.132/LssNew/Members/Biography.aspx?mpsno=14 |archive-date=1 February 2013 |access-date=7 July 2010}}</ref>

He was elected to [[Lok Sabha]] (the lower house of [[Indian Parliament]]) from [[Baghpat (Lok Sabha constituency)|Baghpat]] in 1989. He was [[Ministry of Commerce and Industry (India)|Minister of Industry]] in V. P. Singh's [[V. P. Singh Ministry|cabinet]] from December 1989 to November 1990.<ref name=bio /> He was re-elected to Lok Sabha in [[1991 Indian general election]]. He served as Minister of Food in [[P. V. Narasimha Rao]]'s [[P. V. Narasimha Rao Ministry|cabinet]].<ref name=bio />

Ajit Singh was re-elected in 1996 as a Congress candidate but resigned from the party and Lok Sabha in 1996. He then founded [[Bharatiya Kisan Kamgar Party]] and was re-elected in a [[Baghpat Lok Sabha constituency|Baghpat]] 1997 by-election.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ajit Singh |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/election-news/key-contestants/story/ajit-singh-46303-2009-05-01 |access-date=16 February 2023 |website=India Today |date=2 May 2009 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=29 January 2022 |title=Explained: Jats and the BJP in Uttar Pradesh |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-jats-and-the-bjp-in-up-7746631/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220129001012/https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-jats-and-the-bjp-in-up-7746631/lite/ |archive-date=29 January 2022 |access-date=16 February 2023 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> In 1999, he relaunched his party with the name [[Rashtriya Lok Dal]].<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Yadav |first=Nicholas |date=6 May 2021 |title=A Tribute To Chaudhary Ajit Singh |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/opinion-a-tribute-to-chaudhary-ajit-singh/382163 |website=Outlook}}</ref> He lost the 1998 election and was re-elected in 1999, 2004 and 2009. From 2001 to 2003, he was [[Minister of Agriculture (India)|Minister of Agriculture]] in [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]]'s government.<ref name="bio" /> After his party joined the ruling [[United Progressive Alliance]] in 2011, he was [[Ministry of Civil Aviation (India)|Minister of Civil Aviation]] from December 2011 to May 2014.<ref name="bio" /> In [[2019 Indian general election]], He contested from [[Muzaffarnagar (Lok Sabha constituency)|Muzaffarnagar]] but lost to [[Sanjeev Balyan]] of BJP by a very small margin of 6526 votes.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ajit Singh: Age, Biography, Education, Wife, Caste, Net Worth & More - Oneindia|url=https://hindi.oneindia.com/politicians/ajit-singh-35930.html|access-date=6 May 2021|website=hindi.oneindia.com|language=hi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/rld-chief-ajit-singh-files-nomination-from-ups-muzaffarnagar-2012721|title = RLD Chief Ajit Singh Files Nomination from UP's Muzaffarnagar}}</ref>

==Personal life==
He was married to Radhika Singh, and had one son and two daughters.<ref name=bio /> His son, [[Jayant Chaudhary]], was a member of the 15th Lok Sabha from [[Mathura (Lok Sabha constituency)|Mathura]], Uttar Pradesh.

== Death ==
Singh died on 6 May 2021 on 8:20 AM [[Indian Standard Time|IST]] at the age of 82, due to complications from [[COVID-19]]. He had tested positive for COVID on 20 April 2021 and was admitted to a private hospital in [[Gurgaon|Gurugram, Haryana]], where his condition deteriorated due to a lung infection. His son, [[Jayant Chaudhary]], confirmed his death, noting that Singh “battled his condition till the very end.” Due to the ongoing covid pandemic, his cremation was a low-key affair in Delhi, attended only by close family members to comply with COVID-19 protocols. Singh’s death prompted widespread condolences from political leaders, including prime minister [[Narendra Modi]], who praised his dedication to farmers, and congress leader [[Rahul Gandhi]], who expressed sorrow at the loss.<ref name="India Today Rashtriya Lok Dal chief and former Union minister Ajit Singh dies of Covid-19" /><ref name="The Economic Times Death news">{{cite news |title=Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh dies of COVID-19 |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/rashtriya-lok-dal-chief-ajit-singh-dies-of-covid-19/articleshow/82424615.cms |access-date=6 May 2021 |work=The Economic Times}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Janata Dal (Ajit)]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|in-lwr}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Charan Singh]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament<br />for [[Baghpat (Lok Sabha constituency)|Baghpat]] |years=1989 – 1998}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Sompal Shastri]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Sompal Shastri]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament<br />for [[Baghpat (Lok Sabha constituency)|Baghpat]] |years=1999 – 2014}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Satya Pal Singh (Uttar Pradesh politician)|Satya Pal Singh]]}}
|-
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Jalagam Vengala Rao]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Ministry of Commerce and Industry (India)|Minister of Industry]]|years=5 December 1989 - 10 November 1990}}
{{s-aft|after=[[K. Karunakaran]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Nitish Kumar]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare|Minister of Agriculture]]|years=2 July 2001 - 23 May 2003}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Rajnath Singh]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Vayalar Ravi]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Ministry of Civil Aviation (India)|Minister of Civil Aviation]]|years=8 December 2011 - 26 May 2014}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Ashok Gajapathi Raju]]}}
|-
{{s-end}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130201163047/http://164.100.47.132/LssNew/Members/Biography.aspx?mpsno=14 Official biographical sketch in Parliament of India website]
*[https://jatpedia.gadgetsark.com/index.php/Ajit_Singh Ajit Singh History jatpedia]

{{Cabinet of Manmohan Singh}}
{{Ministry of Civil Aviation (India)}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Ajit}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:2021 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Baghpat]]
[[Category:University of Lucknow alumni]]
[[Category:IIT Kharagpur alumni]]
[[Category:Illinois Institute of Technology alumni]]
[[Category:Children of prime ministers of India]]
[[Category:Rashtriya Lok Dal politicians]]
[[Category:Janata Dal politicians]]
[[Category:V. P. Singh administration]]
[[Category:Rajya Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:India MPs 1989–1991]]
[[Category:India MPs 1991–1996]]
[[Category:India MPs 1996–1997]]
[[Category:India MPs 1999–2004]]
[[Category:India MPs 2004–2009]]
[[Category:India MPs 2009–2014]]
[[Category:Lok Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Members of the Cabinet of India]]
[[Category:United Progressive Alliance candidates in the 2014 Indian general election]]
[[Category:Civil aviation ministers of India]]
[[Category:Commerce and industry ministers of India]]
[[Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in India]]
[[Category:Lok Dal politicians]]
[[Category:Indian farmers' rights activists]]

Ajit Singh (politician, born 1939) - Revision history

RashadWaltman14 at 15:34, 25 April 2026