Chaudhary Ajit Singh: A gentleman politician and a hi-tech farmer leader

Ajit Singh will be remembered as one of the tallest farmer leaders the country has ever produced and a suave gentleman politician, who was highly educated, approachable, and always willing to help.

NEW DELHI: Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president and former Union Minister Chaudhary Ajit Singh passed away on Thursday due to COVID-19. The shocking news of his demise was confirmed by his son and former Member of Parliament Jayant Chaudhary. He was 82.

Ajit Singh, a prominent leader from western Uttar Pradesh, was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Gurgaon after he tested positive for the coronavirus on April 20.

"Chaudhary Ajit Singh Ji was diagnosed as COVID positive on April 20. He battled his condition till the very end and breathed his last today morning on May 6," Jayant, the RJD Vice President, said in a tweet.

चौधरी साहब नहीं रहे!
pic.twitter.com/7cnLkf0c6K — Jayant Chaudhary (@jayantrld) May 6, 2021

Jayant also shared a note on Twitter on behalf of the family members which read, "Throughout his life journey, Chaudhary Sahib was loved and respected by many. He, in turn, cherished this bond with all of you and gave his best consideration and efforts for your welfare."

“As our nation confronts the horrific pandemic, it is our humble request to all those who wish to pay their respects, to please stay at home as far as possible. We must observe all safety protocols to keep ourselves and everyone around us healthy and safe. This would be the best way to honour Chaudhary Sahib as well as all those COVID warriors who are working night and day to protect us. We pray for solace for all those families that have been ravaged by this brutal disease," the note added.

"Saddened by the news of the demise of RJD chief and former Union Minister Chaudhary Ajit Singh. He always raised his voice in the interest of the farmers. As a public representative and minister, he left a different impression on the politics of the country. My condolences to his family and well-wishers," President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while expressing grief on the demise of the former union minister, said that Singh was always devoted to the interests of the farmers."Deeply saddened by the passing away of former Union Minister Chaudhary Ajit Singh ji. He was always devoted to the interests of the farmers. He efficiently discharged the responsibilities of several departments at the Centre. My condolences to his family in this hour of mourning," the Prime Minister tweeted.

Ajit Singh: A suave politician and formidable farmer leader 

Ajit Singh, a seven-time MP from Uttar Pradesh`s Baghpat, was the son of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh. He founded the RLD in 1996. Ajit Singh served as a Member of Parliament for eight terms, including one term as a member of the Rajya Sabha. He also served as the Union Minister four times.

He inherited the rich legacy of his father Charan Singh – a popular farmer leader himself and the Prime Minister of India for six months between 1979-1980.

Before entering the murky world of politics, Ajit Singh worked for 15 years in the United States as a computer engineer. A computer scientist by profession, Singh was also one of the first Indians to work with IBM in the 1960s.

Singh decided to quit his lucrative job in the United States to fill the vacuum created by the demise of his father, who wielded a considerable influence in the prosperous western Uttar Pradesh. 

An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, and the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Ajit Singh was first elected to Rajya Sabha in 1986.

The seven-time member of Lok Sabha, Ajit Singh, represented the family's pocket borough of Baghpat in the Lower House of Parliament. His party, RLD, wields influence in the Jat-dominated western Uttar Pradesh.

Ajit Singh began his illustrious political career with Lok Dal and later allied with Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party. 

Perceived as a fair-weather friend and sometimes as an “opportunist” by his critics, Ajit Singh switched alliances in an effort to remain on the winning side.

He always raised his voice in the interest of the farmers of the country. As a public representative and minister, he left an unforgettable impression on the politics of the country. Ajit Singh served as the Union Minister of Industry in the then VP Singh government. 

Later, he joined the PV Narasimha Rao government as Union Food Minister but resigned from the Congress in 1996. Ajit Singh formed RLD and joined the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government as Union Agriculture Minister in 2001. 

He was part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government till May 2003. Singh later joined the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) after forging an alliance with the Congress for assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.

He will be remembered as one of the tallest farmer leaders the country has ever produced and a suave gentleman politician, who was highly educated, approachable, and always willing to help.