Ajit Singh

Ajit Singh (12 February 1939 – 6 May 2021) 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. Singh entered the Rajya Sabha in 1986 and later represented 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. He held several Union cabinet positions - Minister of Industry (1989–1990), Minister of Food (1995–1996), Minister of Agriculture (2001–2003), and Minister of Civil Aviation (2011–2014)- reflecting his influence in both economic and rural policy domains.

Born in 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 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. His son, Jayant Chaudhary, succeeded him as RLD president, continuing his political lineage.

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 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 Lucknow University and went on to study at the 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.

Political career The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chauhan meeting the Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Ajit Singh, in New Delhi on 21 November 2012. Singh was one of the most dynamic leaders of India, especially worked for farmers and on the economic condition of India. When he was Commerce and Industry Minister in 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 and Finance Minister Manmohan Singh passed the same bill in the Parliament. This bill was one of the major reforms of Indian history better known as the Liberalisation reforms of India, which opened the country for the Global market.

Ajit Singh entered into politics in May 1986 by joining Lok Dal. He was made general secretary and a member of central parliamentary board of Lok Dal. Within months of joining politics, he removed Mulayam Singh Yadav from the position of Lok Dal legislature party leader in Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly. 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 VP Singh during that election.

He was elected to Lok Sabha (the lower house of Indian Parliament) from Baghpat in 1989. He was Minister of Industry in V. P. Singh's cabinet from December 1989 to November 1990. In 1999, he relaunched his party with the name Rashtriya Lok Dal. He lost the 1998 election and was re-elected in 1999, 2004 and 2009. From 2001 to 2003, he was Minister of Agriculture in Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government.

Personal life He was married to Radhika Singh, and had one son and two daughters.