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Bali Ram Bhagat

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Bali Ram Bhagat
11th Governor of Rajasthan
In office
30 June 1993 – 1 May 1998
Preceded byDhanik Lal Mandal (Additional charge)
Succeeded byDarbara Singh
8th Governor of Himachal Pradesh
In office
11 February 1993 – 29 June 1993
Preceded bySurendra Nath (Additional charge)
Succeeded byGulsher Ahmed
13th External Affairs Minister of India
In office
25 September 1985 – 12 May 1986
Preceded byRajiv Gandhi
Succeeded byP. Shiv Shankar
6th Speaker of the Lok Sabha
In office
1976–1977
DeputyG.G. Swell
Preceded byG. S. Dhillon
Succeeded byN. Sanjiva Reddy
Personal details
Born(1922-10-07)7 October 1922
Patna, Bihar, British India
Died2 January 2011(2011-01-02) (aged 88)
New Delhi, India
Spouse
Vidya Bhagat
(m. 1944)
Children2 (1 son and 1 daughter)
Parent
  • Ham Rup Bhagat (father)

Bali Ram Bhagat (7 October 1922 – 2 January 2011) was an Indian politician and member of the Indian National Congress (INC). He has served as Member of Parliament (MP) in Lok Sabha representing Patna-cum-Shahabad from 1952 to 1957 and Shahabad from 1957 to 1977. Bhagat has also served as the 6th Speaker of the Lok Sabha and 13th Foreign Minister of India.

Early life

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BR Bhagat was born into a wealthy Yadav family in Patna, Bihar on 7 October 1922. His family was originally from Dashara village in Samastipur district.[1] He joined the Indian National Congress in 1939 during the Indian independence movement and participated in the Quit India movement. He received a bachelor's degree from Patna College and obtained a master's degree in economics from Patna University.[2]

Career

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After independence, Bali Ram Bhagat served as the Member of Parliament (MP) from Patna-cum-Shahabad in the 1st Lok Sabha (1952-1957) and then Shahabad for four terms (1957-1977).[3] Bhagat lost his seat to Chandradeo Prasad Verma in the 1977 general election, where the Congress lost power in India for the first time.[4] He won as MP from Sitamarhi in 1980 and Arrah in 1984.

Between 1963 and 1967, Bhagat served as the Minister of State for Planning as well as Finance. He was a Minister in the Ministry of Defence for a short period in 1967 before he became the Minister of State for External Affairs in the same year. Bhagat became a member of the cabinet in 1969 when he was appointed the Minister of Foreign Trade and Supply. Later, he was the Minister of Steel and Heavy Engineering for a period of eight months.[3]

Bhagat served as the Speaker of Lok Sabha from 1976 to 1977, during the turbulent final year of Indira Gandhi’s first reign as prime minister.[3] He served as Minister for External Affairs of India under Indira's son, Rajiv Gandhi, from 1985 to 1986. He was governor of Himachal Pradesh briefly during 1993, and governor of Rajasthan from 1993 to 1998. Bali Ram Bhagat died in New Delhi on 2 January 2011.[2]

Positions held

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Bali Ram Bhagat has served seven times as Lok Sabha MP.[5]

He lost the 6th and 9th Lok Sabha election from Arrah in 1977 and 1989 respectively. Bhagat also lost the 10th Lok Sabha election from Samastipur in 1991.

# From To Position Party
1. 1952 1957 MP (1st term) in 1st Lok Sabha from Patna-cum-Shahabad INC
2. 1957 1962 MP (2nd term) in 2nd Lok Sabha from Shahabad INC
3. 1962 1967 MP (3rd term) in 3rd Lok Sabha from Shahabad INC
4. 1967 1971 MP (4th term) in 4th Lok Sabha from Shahabad INC
5. 1971 1977 MP (5th term) in 5th Lok Sabha from Shahabad INC
6. 1980 1984 MP (6th term) in 7th Lok Sabha from Sitamarhi INC (U)
7. 1984 1989 MP (7th term) in 8th Lok Sabha from Arrah INC

Note

  • The Patna-cum-Shahabad constituency was renamed as Shahabad constituency in the 2nd Lok Sabha (1957).
  • The Shahabad constituency was renamed as Arrah constituency in the 6th Lok Sabha (1977).

References

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  1. ^ "When Bali Ram Bhagat was defeated by his own people". Hindustan. 22 March 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Former Lok Sabha Speaker Baliram Bhagat passes away". The Hindu. 3 January 2011.
  3. ^ a b c "The Office of Speaker Lok Sabha". speakerloksabha.nic.in. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  4. ^ [1] p.95
  5. ^ "Member Profile: 8th Lok Sabha". Lok Sabha. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
Preceded by Minister for External Affairs of India
1985–1986
Succeeded by