Digvijay Singh (14 November 1955 – 24 June 2010) was an Indian politician from the state of Bihar, and an associate of George Fernandes of Janata Dal and later Samata Party, now led by Uday Mandal its President. He represented Banka in the Lok Sabha a few times. He was elected to Rajya Sabha twice. He died on 24 June 2010 in London after suffering a brain haemorrhage.
He served as a Union Minister of State in the Chandra Shekhar Government (1990–1991) and later in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee led National Democratic Alliance Government (1999–2004). He had also served as the President of National Rifle Association of India since 1999.
Childhood and education
Singh was a native of Gidhaur, in Jamui district (Bihar), the only son of Kumar Surendra Singh and Sona Devi. He was also related to the erstwhile royal estate of Gidhaur. He was born in a Rajput family of Zamindari class. He studied at Patna University before doing his M.A. and M.Phil. from the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. He also studied at Tokyo University for some time. Later, he turned down an offer to teach in Tokyo university and took up a career in politics in India. Singh was called "Dada" by the people who knew him, an affectionate word meaning 'elder brother'. His home nickname was 'Kanhaiya Ji'.
Early career
Digvijay Singh got involved in politics in his student times and he was elected as the president of the prestigious student union of the Jawaharlal Nehru University from Students for Democratic Socialism (SYS). In 1983, Digvijay Singh accompanied veteran socialist politician Chandrashekhar during his 'Bharat Yatra' march through the heartland of India.
Political career
Digvijay Singh was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1990. He remained in the Rajya Sabha until 1996. In 1994, when George Fernandes created the Samata Party as an offshoot of the Janata Dal party, Digvijay Singh was one of the founding members along with Nitish Kumar. Digvijay served as the spokesperson of the Samata Party.
He was elected to the 12th Lok Sabha (1998) on the Samata Party ticket and for a second term again in the 13th Lok Sabha (1999) from Banka Lok Sabha Constituency in Bihar. In October 2003, the Samata Party did not merged with the Janata Dal, Uday Mandal is the current President of Samata Party. Which is in power in the state of Bihar since 2005.
Digvijay Singh was narrowly defeated by a margin of 2800 votes in the 2004 General Elections. However, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha for the second time in his career in 2004.
In April 2009, Digvijay Singh voluntarily resigned from the Rajya Sabha before going on to contest successfully as an independent candidate for the Banka Lok Sabha seat in the 2009 General Elections. After his death in 2010, his wife Putul Kumari won the bye-poll.
Union Minister in Central Government and Member of Several Committees
In 1990, when the Vishwanath Pratap Singh government at the Center fell later that year and Chandrashekhar formed a government with the outside support of the Indian National Congress, Digvijay Singh was made a Union Deputy Minister, Ministry of Finance and Union Deputy Minister, Ministry of External Affairs. In 1998, Digvijay Singh became the Union Minister of State, Ministry of Railways in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee led NDA government from 13 October 1999 – 22 July 2001, Union Minister of State, Ministry of Commerce and Industry from 22 July 2001 – 1 September 2001, again Union Minister of State, Ministry of Railways from 1 September 2001 – 30 June 2002. From 1 July 2002 – 12 May 2004, he was Union Minister of State, Ministry of External Affairs.
He was Leader of Indian delegations to U.N. on different occasions, the Government of India's special emissary to meet leaders like Fidel Castro, Saddam Hussein, Pervez Musharraf, etc.; was deputed by the Government of India as Minister-in-Waiting with President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan during his stay in India for 'Agra Summit'; visited Japan as a student and later as member of Indian Parliamentary Delegation; attended, 88th I.P.U. Conference, Stockholm, Sweden, 1992.