National Farmer’s Day 2025: How did Chaudhary Charan Singh, who fought with Pandit Nehru for farmers, reach the post of PM?

Chaudhary Charan Singh is called the messiah of farmers.

Chaudhary Charan Singh was a capable politician. He was a strong advocate of farmers’ interests and he even clashed with Pandit Nehru on questions related to them. He was an honest and strict administrator. After two warnings, he dismissed 27 thousand Patwaris from their jobs in Uttar Pradesh. He did not refrain from even taking unpopular decisions for the smooth functioning of the administration. He held the post of Chief Minister of the country’s largest state Uttar Pradesh twice. Also became Prime Minister. But with the mention of his reaching these two biggest chairs, it is remembered that he took the help of defection to become the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

Janata Party broke for the post of Prime Minister. It is also remembered that he was the only Prime Minister of the country who did not get the opportunity to face the House. But even after some such controversies, he remained relevant in the political scenario of the country due to his ability and his wide popularity among the farmers. Modi government awarded him Bharat Ratna posthumously. The Atal government started celebrating his birthday as Farmer’s Day. On the occasion of his birthday, read some incidents related to his political life.

Used to address Jat leader with displeasure

Chaudhary Charan Singh is remembered for his influence and penetration among the Jats. But during his lifetime, being addressed as a Jat leader irritated him. He considered himself entitled to his identity as a farmer leader. In fact, he kept speaking in favor of farmers even before independence. Obviously, when he talked about the interests of farmers, there was no scope for caste discrimination in it.

He was the first leader who demanded reservation in jobs which was not based on caste or religion. In 1939 and 1947, before the Congress Legislature, he proposed to reserve fifty percent seats in public jobs for farmers and their dependents. He prepared the draft of the Land Use Bill in which there was a provision that the land cultivated by them should be handed over to the farmers or tenants who pay ten times the rent.

He kept writing and speaking against the Zamindari system even before independence. Charan Singh was the architect of the schemes and assurances related to land and agriculture in the party’s manifesto approved by the All India Congress Working Committee in Calcutta in 1945. After independence, he got the opportunity to implement his thinking in Uttar Pradesh. He had a leading role in the formulation of two important laws related to agriculture in the state, Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition Act and Consolidation Act.

Opposition to cooperative farming angered Nehru

In 1959, at the 64th session of the Congress in Nagpur, Charan Singh gave a long aggressive but very logical speech against cooperative farming, in which he described cooperative farming as a system, completely contrary to Indian conditions. His opposition had angered Pandit Nehru. The basis of Chaudhary Saheb’s protest was that no matter how small a farmer is in India, he loves his fields like a mother. He would never accept that this farm should belong to a committee in which his status would be only that of a member.

This proposal was passed even after the opposition of Charan Singh. Charan Singh was considered a reactionary. His differences with Congress increased on the question of agricultural and economic policies. Within the party he was accused of not being progressive. Later, the failure of cooperative farming in Soviet Russia and Communist China proved Charan Singh’s vision and his understanding of his country’s farming to be correct.

Defection brought him to the post of Chief Minister

Born on 23 December 1902 in Noorpur village of Meerut, Charan Singh remained vocal on issues related to farming throughout his life. Of course, he never did farming himself but he had a deep understanding of the needs, problems and aspirations of the farmers. He joined Congress in 1929. Made many visits to jail during the freedom struggle. In 1937, he was elected MLA from Chhaprauli for the first time. For the next 30 years, he successfully discharged the roles ranging from Parliamentary Secretary to an important cabinet minister in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. But like every politician, he also wanted to reach the top. He got this opportunity in 1967.

In this election, Congress had 199 members in the 425-member assembly. The opposition tried unsuccessfully to form a government under the leadership of independent Ram Chandra Vikal. Meanwhile, Congress government was formed under the leadership of Chandrabhanu Gupta. By this time Charan Singh’s differences with Gupta and Congress had increased considerably. On April 1, 1967, during the proceedings of the House, Charan Singh announced to leave the Congress. Some other Congress MLAs supported him. Two days later, Charan Singh took oath as Chief Minister. This government was supported by all non-Congress MLAs including Jan Sangh, Communists and Socialists, Independents.

The main issue of Charan Singh’s conflict with the Center while leading this short-lived government was regarding the grain procurement policy. In the mid-term elections of the state assembly in 1969, the Bharatiya Kranti Dal led by Charan Singh emerged as the main opposition party. This was the year when the historic split of Congress took place. In 1970, Charan Singh got the opportunity to become Chief Minister for the second time. This joint government was supported by the faction of Congress led by Indira Gandhi.

Alerted Indira about the consequences of emergency

In 1974 he formed Lok Dal. Formed by the merger of his own party Bharatiya Kranti Dal with Swatantra Party, Sanyukt Socialist Party, Utkal Party, Rashtriya Loktantra Dal, Kisan Mazdoor Party and Punjabi Khetibari Zamindari Union, this party prepared the basis for Charan Singh’s entry into national politics. Like other opposition leaders, he too remained in jail during the Emergency. After being released from jail, in his long speech in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, he strongly criticized the dictatorship of the Indira government and warned that steam has been gathered in the boiler and you think that nothing will happen. Something will happen! The explosion is certain. After the announcement of 1977 elections, Indira Gandhi had tried to take Charan Singh along. But ignoring this, he associated himself with the campaign to bring together the anti-Congress parties.

Janata Party contested elections on Lok Dal symbol

Chaudhary Charan Singh-led Lok Dal was also included in the Janata Party, formed by the merger of various non-Congress parties to fight against the excesses of the Emergency. Janata Party, formed in a very short time, had contested this election with Lok Dal’s symbol Haldhar Kisan. Congress was wiped out in North India in the Janata wave of 1977. Along with Morarji Desai and Jagjivan Ram, Chaudhary Charan Singh also had a claim to lead the Janata Party government. But the conditions were not favorable for him for the post of Prime Minister. The equations were becoming favorable for Jagjivan Ram.

Interestingly, Jagjivan Ram remained in the Indira Gandhi government during the Emergency. He changed sides after the elections were announced. Although even Morarji did not accept Charan Singh for this post, his opposition towards Jagjivan Ram was stronger. At the last moment, Charan Singh took Morarji’s side. He blocked the path of Jagjivan Ram. However, Charan Singh never got along well with Morarji when he was Deputy Prime Minister in the government.

Leave from Morarji government but then back

His participation in the Janata Party government was in two phases. For the first time, he got the responsibility of Home Minister along with Deputy Prime Minister. Morarji and other colleagues did not agree with his decision to arrest Indira Gandhi. But Charan Singh remained adamant. His action brought a lot of embarrassment to the government. His differences with Morarji continued to increase. Apart from writing letters to them, they also kept providing them to the press, which caused a lot of embarrassment to the government. Morarji dismissed him from the cabinet on 1 July 1978. But after a gap of just 22 days, on the occasion of Charan Singh’s 76th birthday, the flood of farmers gathered at the Vote Club in Delhi gave the message that their leader should not be taken lightly.

It is estimated that there was a crowd of around eight lakh in the rally. The Jan Sangh component of the party considered Charan Singh’s return to the cabinet necessary for the stability of the government. Atal and Advani started putting pressure on Morarji for this. Morarji was not ready. Later Advani also regretted his initiative. But at that time Morarji had to agree. Within a month of his show of strength through a rally, Charan Singh returned to the government on 24 January 1978. This time he had the Finance Ministry along with the Deputy Prime Minister.

Now eyes on the peak, Rajnarayan becomes Hanuman

He was once again in the government but now his eyes were on the top. In those days, socialist leader Rajnarayan was their Hanuman. He was also removed from the cabinet and Morarji was not ready for his return at any cost. Indira Gandhi’s 1971 election from Rae Bareli was canceled on Rajnarayan’s election petition. This court decision became a reason for the Emergency of 1975. In 1977, it was Rajnarayan who defeated Indira Gandhi in Rae Bareli. But now Rajnarayan was adamant to oust Morarji from the chair.

He had connections with Sanjay Gandhi. He had awakened in Charan Singh the desire for the post of Prime Minister. The condition was to break the Janata Party. Charan Singh separated from Janata Party along with 76 MPs. Congress took him in hand. On 28 July 1979, Charan Singh took oath as Prime Minister. He had to prove his majority by 20th August. Indira-Sanjay’s work was completed. The Janata Party had disintegrated. On August 19, Congress withdrew support from the Charan Singh government. Chaudhary Charan Singh’s name is recorded as one such Prime Minister who did not get the opportunity to face the House. He was on the opposition bench in the next two Lok Sabha elections. This was the end period of his political career. He died on 29 May 1987.

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