Bali Ram Bhagat

Bali Ram Bhagat (7 October 1922 – 2 January 2011) was an Indian politician and member of the Indian National Congress (INC). He has served as Member of Parliament (MP) in Lok Sabha representing Patna-cum-Shahabad from 1952 to 1957 and Shahabad (Arrah) from 1957 to 1977. Bhagat has also served as the 6th Speaker of the Lok Sabha and 13th Foreign Minister of India.

Early life BR Bhagat was born into a wealthy Yadav family in Patna, Bihar on 7 October 1922. His family was originally from Dashara village in Samastipur district. He joined the Indian National Congress in 1939 during the Indian independence movement and participated in the Quit India movement. He received a bachelor's degree from Patna College and obtained a master's degree in economics from Patna University.

Career After independence, Bali Ram Bhagat served as the Member of Parliament (MP) from Patna-cum-Shahabad in the 1st Lok Sabha (1952-1957) and then Shahabad for four terms (1957-1977). Bhagat lost his seat to Chandradeo Prasad Verma in the 1977 general election, where the Congress lost power in India for the first time. He won as MP from Sitamarhi in 1980 and Arrah in 1984.

Between 1963 and 1967, Bhagat served as the Minister of State for Planning as well as Finance. He was a Minister in the Ministry of Defence for a short period in 1967 before he became the Minister of State for External Affairs in the same year. Bhagat became a member of the cabinet in 1969 when he was appointed the Minister of Foreign Trade and Supply. Later, he was the Minister of Steel and Heavy Engineering for a period of eight months.

He lost the 6th and 9th Lok Sabha election from Arrah in 1977 and 1989 respectively. Bhagat also lost the 10th Lok Sabha election from Samastipur in 1991. From To Position Party 1. 1952 1957 MP (1st term) in 1st Lok Sabha from Patna-cum-Shahabad INC 2. 1957 1962 MP (2nd term) in 2nd Lok Sabha from Shahabad INC 3. 1962 1967 MP (3rd term) in 3rd Lok Sabha from Shahabad INC 4. 1967 1971 MP (4th term) in 4th Lok Sabha from Shahabad INC 5. 1971 1977 MP (5th term) in 5th Lok Sabha from Shahabad INC 6. 1980 1984 MP (6th term) in 7th Lok Sabha from Sitamarhi INC (U) 7. 1984 1989 MP (7th term) in 8th Lok Sabha from Arrah INC

Note The Patna-cum-Shahabad constituency was succeeded by Shahabad constituency in the 2nd Lok Sabha (1957). The Shahabad constituency was renamed as Arrah constituency in the 6th Lok Sabha (1977).