Birender Singh (politician, born 1946)

Ch. Birender Singh (born 25 March 1946) is a senior Indian political leader. He previously served as Minister of Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Sanitation & Drinking Water as well as the Union Minister of Steel from 2016 to 2019 in the Narendra Modi led NDA Government in India.

Birender Singh
Member of parliament, Rajya Sabha
In office 2 August 2016 – 20 January 2020
Constituency	Haryana
In office 29 November 2014 – 1 August 2016
Constituency	Haryana
In office 2 August 2010 – 28 August 2014
Constituency	Haryana
Minister of Steel
In office 5 July 2016 – 14 April 2019
Prime Minister	Narendra Modi
Preceded by	Narendra Singh Tomar
Succeeded by	Dharmendra Pradhan
Minister of Panchayati Raj
In office 9 November 2014 – 5 July 2016
Prime Minister	Narendra Modi
Preceded by	Nitin Gadkari
Succeeded by	Narendra Singh Tomar
Minister of Rural Development
In office 9 November 2014 – 5 July 2016
Prime Minister	Narendra Modi
Preceded by	Nitin Gadkari
Succeeded by	Narendra Singh Tomar
Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation
In office 9 November 2014 – 5 July 2016
Prime Minister	Narendra Modi
Preceded by	Nitin Gadkari
Succeeded by	Ramesh Jigajinagi, Narendra Singh Tomar
Member of parliament, Lok Sabha
In office 1984–1989
Preceded by	Mani Ram Bagri
Succeeded by	Jai Parkash
Constituency	Hisar
Personal details
Political party	INC (1972–2014) BJP (2014–)
Spouse(s)	Premlata Singh
Children	Brijendra Singh

Birender Singh is the grandson of great peasant leader Sir Chhotu Ram. His father Chaudhary Neki Ram was a politician in joint Punjab. After being associated with the Indian National Congress for over 42 long years, Chaudhary Birender Singh declared joining the Bharatiya Janata Party on 16 August 2014 in a political rally organised in Jind, Haryana in the presence of President of the BJP, Amit Shah.[1]

Early life

Singh comes from a socially, politically and economically influential family. His grandfather Sir Chhotu Ram was an iconic Jat and peasant leader in India and Pakistan.[2] He graduated from Government College, Rohtak and completed his law degree at Panjab University, Chandigarh. During this development, Singh was active in sports, captaining the district. Jind cricket team 1964–67 and playing with Punjab University Team (1969–70).

Birender Singh married Premlata Singh on 9 June 1970. Premlata Singh has been a member of the legislative assembly of Haryana representing Uchana Kalan constituency from 2014 to 2019.[3][4]

His son Brijendra Singh was previously a bureaucrat who served as an IAS officer of 1998 Batch and was posted in Haryana for 21 years. He elected as Member of Parliament from Hisar in 2019 Indian general election.[5]

Political life

Birender Singh contested his first election in 1972 & from 1972–77, he was the Chairman, Block Samiti Uchana. He contested the legislative assembly election in 1977 from Uchana Kalan constituency on Indian National Congress ticket and won the seat with a sizeable margin, despite strong anti-congress wave in the country. This made him a star political figure in India overnight.

Birender Singh has been a five times legislator for Haryana from Uchana constituency (1977–82, 1982–84, 1994–96, 1996–2000 and 2005–09) and served three terms as Cabinet Minister in Haryana.

Ch. Birender Singh has also served the country as a Parliamentarian 3 times. In 1984, Ch. Birender Singh was elected as Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Hissar Constituency, after defeating Om Prakash Chautala by a giant margin. In 2010, Birender Singh was elected as Congress MP Rajya Sabha from Haryana for a 6 years term (2010–16).

Birender Singh joined Bharatiya Janata Party on 29 August 2014, after tendering his resignation from the membership of Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India on 28 August 2014.

In November 2014, Ch. Birender Singh took oath as a Cabinet Minister, Govt. Of India. He was given the charge of the Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. He was re-election to Rajya Sabha for third time on 11 June 2016

In July 2016, during the second cabinet reshuffle of the Narendra Modi ministry, Chaudhary Birender Singh replaced Narendra Singh Tomar as the Steel Minister.[6]

Birender Singh resigned as the member of the union cabinet minister before 2019 Indian general election as the BJP decided to field his son Brijendra from Hisar parliamentary constituency.[7][8]

Positions held

Singh has held numerous key positions. He was Chairman, Govt. Assurances Committee (1978–79) and Chairman, Estimates Committee (1981–82), Haryana.

He has also served on the Estimates Committee (1985–87) & Consultative Committee for ministry of Defense (1987–89) and Consultative Committee for Ministry of Energy (1987–91), Government of India.

Birender Singh served the chairman, Standing Committee of Parliament on Human Resource, Women & Child Development, Youth & Sports ministry from Sept 2013 to April 2014.

On the political front, Birender Singh has been entrusted with many key responsibilities. He was made the President of HPCC in 1990 and led congress to a landslide victory in 1991. In 2014, he was made the general secretary of AICC in charge of poll-bound states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. Ch. Birender Singh led the party to victory in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh elections, which were fought under his guidance.

As of today, Ch. Birender Singh is a cabinet minister ( Steel ) in the Narendra Modi Government.

References

1. "Haryana abuzz after Birender Singh's name dropped from Union Cabinet | Chandigarh News - Times of India".
2. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/birender-singh-a-towering-jat-leader-in-haryana/articleshow/45087605.cms
3. 2014 Haryana Results
4. CEO results
5. "Hisar Election Results 2019 Live Updates (Hissar): Brijendra Singh of BJP Wins", News18, 26 May 2019
6. "No more a people ministry for Birender Singh, now the steel minister". Business Standard. 6 July 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
7. Steel Minister Birendra Singh resigns
8. Birender Singh offered to resign from the Union Cabinet as well as Rajya Sabha

Lok Sabha
Preceded by Mani Ram Bagri	Member of Parliament for Hisar 1984–1989	Succeeded by Jai Parkash
Political offices
Preceded by Nitin Gadkari	Minister of Rural Development 9 November 2014 – 5 July 2016	Succeeded by Narendra Singh Tomar
Preceded by Nitin Gadkari	Minister of Panchayati Raj 9 November 2014 – 5 July 2016	Succeeded by Narendra Singh Tomar
Preceded by Nitin Gadkari	Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation 9 November 2014 – 5 July 2016	Succeeded by Narendra Singh Tomar
Preceded by Narendra Singh Tomar	Minister of Steel 5 July 2016 – 14 April 2019	Succeeded by Dharmendra Pradhan