Ajit Singh (politician, born 1939)

Ajit Singh (12 February 1939 – 6 May 2021) was an Indian politician, farmer leader, and founder of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), a regional political party rooted in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, dedicated to advocating farmers’ rights and rural interests. Singh entered the Rajya Sabha in 1986 and later represented Baghpat in the Lok Sabha across seven terms between 1989 and 2014, navigating multiple party affiliations including the Janata Dal, Lok Dal (Ajit), and eventually Rashtriya Lok Dal, which he established in 1996. He held several Union cabinet positions - Minister of Industry (1989–1990), Minister of Food (1995–1996), Minister of Agriculture (2001–2003), and Minister of Civil Aviation (2011–2014)- reflecting his influence in both economic and rural policy domains.

Born in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, to former prime minister Charan Singh, he inherited a legacy of agrarian advocacy but initially pursued a career in technology, earning a B.Tech from IIT Kharagpur and an M.S. from the Illinois Institute of Technology, followed by a 15-year stint at IBM. A key figure in coalition politics, Singh’s career was marked by his commitment to agricultural reforms and strategic alliances, notably with the BJP and Congress, until his death from COVID-19 in 2021. His son, Jayant Chaudhary, succeeded him as RLD president, continuing his political lineage.