Chaudhary Charan Singh: The Prime Minister Who Never Faced Parliament

Chaudhary Charan Singh served as the 5th Prime Minister of India from 28 July 1979 to 14 January 1980. He is often known as the champion of Indian peasants for his work in supporting farmers. He was born on 23 December 1902 in a rural Jat peasant family of the Tevatia clan in Noorpur village, District Hapur (earlier part of Meerut), in present-day Uttar Pradesh, which was then called the United Province of Agra and Oudh. He joined politics during the freedom movement, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s call for non-violent resistance against British rule.

December 23 is celebrated as Kisan Diwas (Farmers’ Day) in India to honour Charan Singh’s efforts for the farming community. Although his time as Prime Minister was short, he played an important role in Indian politics and remained dedicated to the rights of farmers throughout his life.

Following the Emergency imposed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from 1975 to 1977, several anti-Congress leaders came together to form the Janata Party. Established in January 1977, the Janata Party was a coalition of diverse opposition groups, including the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, Bharatiya Lok Dal (led by Chaudhary Charan Singh), Socialist Party, and other factions, unified by their shared goal of defeating Indira Gandhi’s Congress government. The coalition capitalized on widespread public discontent with the Emergency to secure victory in the 1977 general elections. However, internal divisions, driven by conflicting ideologies and personal ambitions among its leaders, weakened the Janata government, ultimately leading to its collapse in 1979.

During this time, Indira Gandhi tried to rebuild her image by visiting various places, including a village in Bihar called Belchhi, where she travelled on an elephant due to poor roads. Her efforts to connect with the public worried the Janata leaders. Charan Singh, who was then the Home Minister, pushed CBI for actions against her. On 3 October 1977, police arrested her from her home. She asked to be taken in handcuffs to make a political point, but police refused. She was kept overnight at the New Police Lines in Kingsway Camp, Delhi.

Indira Gandhi called the arrest political and said she was being punished for raising public issues. Media reports from that time mentioned the drama and strong reactions surrounding her arrest. She faced two main charges: misuse of government power to get jeeps for election campaigning and irregularities in a contract between ONGC and a French oil company, CFP, related to offshore drilling work at Bombay High. However, the court found no solid proof and released her the next day.

In 1978, she returned to Parliament by winning from Chikmagalur. Soon, she was again arrested for interfering with an investigation into her son Sanjay Gandhi’s Maruti company during her earlier term as PM. She was jailed for a week, lost her seat, and won it again later. These arrests helped her regain public sympathy and made her more popular.

After Morarji Desai’s government fell, Charan Singh was asked to form the next government. This became possible when Indira Gandhi’s Congress (I) gave him a letter of support. President Sanjiva Reddy allowed him to form the government on 26 July 1979, with the condition that he would prove majority in Parliament. He became Prime Minister on 28 July 1979. Parliament was supposed to meet on 20 August, but the government was already unstable.

Indira Gandhi’s support came with demands. She wanted Charan Singh to withdraw certain cases against her and Sanjay Gandhi relating to excesses during Emergency. Charan Singh refused to do so, standing by his principles. “The country would not have forgiven us if we had, for the sake of remaining in office, agreed to withdraw prosecutions against persons responsible for atrocities during Emergency,” Singh said. As a result, Indira Gandhi took back her support. Before facing a trust vote in Parliament, Charan Singh resigned as prime minister in August 1979 and advised the President to dissolve the Lok Sabha. But even after he resigned he continued as caretaker prime minister until a new general election was held in January 1980.

This created a controversy. Constitutional expert A.G. Noorani said Charan Singh should have first faced the vote in Parliament, and only after losing it, the President could have acted. Charan Singh became the only Prime Minister of India who never faced Parliament during his term. His government lasted just 23 days. Later, he claimed that Indira Gandhi had wanted him to cancel the cases against her and her son, but he refused, saying that staying in power was not more important than justice.

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Although he was respected for his honesty and strong stand for farmers, Charan Singh was also criticised for changing political sides too often. Some called him the "King of Defectors." He remained disappointed about his short term as Prime Minister but always said he never gave up his principles. Despite all the controversies, his legacy remains strong, and many institutions have been named in his memory. [Rh/VP]