Dharam Singh

Dharam Narayan Singh (25 December 1936 – 27 July 2017) was an Indian senior congress politician who was the 17th Chief Minister of Karnataka and 18th President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee. He was the Member of Parliament from Bidar, in 15th Lok Sabha. He was the nine-term Member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from Jevaragi constituency.

N. Dharam Singh
17th Chief Minister of Karnataka
In office 28 May 2004 – 28 January 2006
Preceded by	S. M. Krishna
Succeeded by	H. D. Kumaraswamy
Constituency	Jevaragi
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office 2009–2014
Preceded by	Narsingrao Suryawanshi
Succeeded by	Bhagwanth Khuba
Constituency	Bidar
In office 1980–1980
Preceded by	Sidram Reddi
Succeeded by	C. M. Stephen
Constituency	Gulbarga
Member of the Legislative Assembly for Jevargi
In office 1972–2008
Preceded by	S. Siddramgouda
Succeeded by	Doddappagouda Patil
Constituency	Jevargi
Personal details
Born	Dharam Narayan Singh 25 December 1936 Nelogi, Hyderabad State, British India
Died	27 July 2017 (aged 80) M. S. Ramaiah Medical College, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Resting place	Nelogi
Political party	Indian National Congress
Spouse(s)	Prabhavati (1970-2017)
Children	Ajay Singh (Son), Vijay Singh (Son), Priyadarshini Singh (Daughter)
Parents	Narayan Singh (Father), Padmavathi Singh (Mother)
Relatives	Vikramaditya Singh (grandson) Anushka Singh( grand daughter)Saina Singh (grand daughter) Arhaan Jai Singh (grandson)
Residence	Bangalore, New Delhi
Education	Master of Arts, Bachelor of Laws
Alma mater	Osmania University
Nickname(s)	Ajatashatru

Early life and family

Dharam Singh was born in Nelogi village of Jevargi taluk in Gulbarga district of the erstwhile Hyderabad State (in present-day Karnataka).[1] He was from a Rajput family,[2] who are minority community in Karnataka.[3] He obtained his master's and law degrees from Osmania University, Hyderabad.

Political career

Singh began his career in politics as an Independent Corporator in the Gulbarga district City Municipal Council by contesting against his own brother. He started his political career as a socialist. He was brought up under the influence of Bhim Sena founder B. Shyam Sunder who was a legislator to Hyderabad State and served as its Deputy speaker. He was the Secretary of Hyderabad Karnataka Youth League, and his election agent in 1957, and issued a pamphlet in Urdu to vote in his favour.

In the late 1960s, he joined the Indian National Congress and his loyalty made him a strong contender for the post of Chief Minister in 2004.

He gave up the Kalaburgi Lok Sabha seat of which he was the Member of Parliament to accommodate C.M. Stephen, who was a Union Minister in the Indira Gandhi Cabinet, in 1980 on Indira Gandhi's directions.[4]

He has served as a minister under various chief ministers such as Devaraj Urs, R. Gundu Rao, S. Bangarappa, M. Veerappa Moily and S. M. Krishna, and has handled diverse portfolios such as Home, Excise, Social Welfare, Urban Development and Revenue. He was KPCC president in the 1990s when his party was out of power. At that time, the Congress' national leadership was headed by Sitaram Kesri, of whom Singh was said to be a favourite. He lost out to his senior colleague S. M. Krishna in the race to the Chief Minister's post in 1999. Then, he joined the Krishna ministry and handled the Public Works Department portfolio.

When the 2004 state elections resulted in a hung assembly with no party getting enough seats to form a government, the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)) parties decided to come together and form a coalition government. Known for his adaptability and friendly nature and his close political ties with H. D. Deve Gowda, Dharam Singh was the unanimous choice of both parties to head the government.[5] He was sworn in as Chief Minister on 28 May 2004.[6] He was the second leader from Kalaburgi to become Chief Minister after Veerendra Patil. For almost 20 months, he led the fragile coalition through many ups and downs.

He was criticised for not being assertive in the sense of coming from minority community and further allowing the JD(S) supremo to join hands, which was their junior partner in coalition to call the shots in the government.[7] He left office on 3 February 2006 after the collapse of the Coalition government formed by the Congress (I) due to a defection in the JD(S) engineered by H.D. Kumaraswamy, who succeeded him as Chief Minister, leading a new coalition with the BJP.[8]

During the tenure of H.D. Kumaraswamy, Dharam Singh was the Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.[9] However, in the 2008 state elections he was defeated by a political lightweight, Doddappagouda Patil Naribol of the BJP, by a slim margin of 52 postal votes.[10] In the Lok Sabha elections held in May 2009, he contested the Bidar Lok Sabha constituency and emerged victorious against his former colleague Bhagwant Khuba of the BJP by a huge margin of 92,222 votes.[11] However, Dharam Singh had to bite dust in 2014 Lok Sabha election when he lost to Bhagwant Khuba by over a lakh votes, which ended his political career.

Death

He died on 27 July 2017 due to cardiac arrest in Bengaluru, aged 80. He was cremated with State Honours and by Rajput Tradition.[12]

Positions held

• 1967: Councillor, Gulbarga City Municipal Council
• 1972–2008: Member of Karnataka Legislative Assembly
• Member of State Backward Classes Commission
• Minister for Urban Development, Karnataka
• Minister for Home & Excise, Karnataka
• Minister for Revenue and Social Welfare
• KPCC President
• 1999-2004: Minister for Public works, Karnataka
• also PWD minister of Karnataka state
• 2004-2006: Chief Minister of Karnataka
• 2006-2007: Leader of Opposition, Karnataka Legislative Assembly
• 2009-2014: Member Of Parliament

Criticism and controversy

The Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Nitte Santosh Hegde in 2008 has found Dharam Singh and 11 other officials guilty of causing a loss to the State exchequer owing to irregularities in the mining sector. The Lokayukta report indicted him for causing a loss of Rs. 23.22 crore. According to the report, Dharam Singh is at fault for allowing illegal mining in "patta" lands.[13] The Lokayukta had also asked for the amount caused as loss to be recovered from Dharam Singh.[14]

References

1. "'Invincible Man' (often referred to as Ajat Shatru in State Politics) Dharam Singh". Karnataka.com. Karnataka.com. Archived from the original on 10 August 2007. Retrieved 8 July 2007.
2. "N Dharam Singh: 'A simple politician with no enemies'". The Indian Express. 28 July 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
3. "Dharam Singh Was The 'Ajatashatru' Of Karnataka Politics". NDTV.com. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
4. "Kalaburgi elected Indira Gandhi's close aide 'Stephen'".
5. "Dharam Singh chosen leader of CLP". The Times of India. 24 May 2004.
6. "Dharam Singh, Siddaramaiah sworn in". The Hindu. 29 May 2004.
7. "As Dharam Singh fights to keep his chair, Deve Gowda calls shots in Karnataka". The Indian Express. 21 October 2005.
8. "Dharam Singh resigns as Karnataka CM".
9. "Dharam Singh will be Leader of the Opposition: Kharge". The Hindu. 31 January 2006.
10. "Dharam Singh's defeat stuns admirers". The Hindu.
11. "Dharam singh wins from Bidar".
12. "Dharam Singh cremated with full state honours at his birthplace". Deccan Herald. 29 July 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
13. "Lokayutka report indicts Dharam Singh, 11 officials". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 23 December 2008.
14. "Mines of scandal". The Hindu. Chennai, India.

External links

• Karnataka CM's Profile
• Dharam Singh Watch