Chaudhary Charan Singh, conferred with the Bharat Ratna, served as Uttar Pradesh’s first non-Congress Chief Minister and later became the Prime Minister of India in 1979
Born in 1903, he entered politics during the national movement, and as a Congress leader (Revenue minister), played a crucial role in zamindari abolition and land ceiling post-independence
In 1967, he formed UP's first non-Congress coalition government, but his first term as CM lasted only until 1968due to coalition disintegration
Charan Singh's return as CM in 1970 faced challenges, and he eventually resigned, leading to President's Rule in UP
Charan Singh entered national politicsafter the Emergency, winning the 1977 Lok Sabha elections and becoming the Deputy PM in Morarji Desai’s government
Charan Singh later became PM in 1979 with Indira Gandhi's support but held the position for only 23 days before losing her backing
Widely hailed as a champion of peasants, Charan Singh influenced farming communities to shift political allegiance away from Congress and Jan Sangh
Charan Singh's impact extended beyond the Jat community, creating a new political class for North Indian farming communities