Vivek Shukla
In Shankar Market of Connaught Place, some shopkeepers can still be found discussing the 1980 Lok Sabha elections. Then these people or some of their associates were campaigning for Congress candidate Charanjit Singh contesting from South Delhi seat. Charanjit Singh’s Coca Cola factory was in Shankar Market. The dilapidated building of that factory is still standing. It’s been a long time since it closed. Charanjit Singh had created a record by winning that election. he/she became the first Sikh to reach the Lok Sabha from Delhi. After him/her no Sikh was ever elected to the Lok Sabha from Delhi. Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh had unsuccessfully tried to reach the Lok Sabha from South Delhi in the 1999 Lok Sabha elections. The general elections of 1980 were imposed on the country. In fact, in 1977 the country had handed over power to the Janata Party with full enthusiasm. But, this government fell due to mutual infighting among its leaders. When premature elections were held, the country was upset with the Janata Party.

Congress gave the ticket from South Delhi to Charanjit Singh, who was a novice in the world of politics. At the time of nomination it was revealed who Charanjit Singh was. Mohan Singh Palace in Connaught Place is named after his/her father Sardar Mohan Singh. he/she was also the Vice Chairman of New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). It was due to his/her efforts that Tibet Market of Janpath was formed. Well, Janata Party has fielded Vijay Kumar Malhotra against Charanjit Singh. he/she was elected from this seat in 1977. he/she was the ‘old rice’ of Delhi politics. Had been the Chief Executive Councilor of Delhi (equivalent to the Chief Minister). Congress was very aggressive in the election campaign, while Janata Party looked weak from the beginning.

Vijay Kumar Malhotra, now turning 95, had once told that the voters were very angry with us due to the breakup of the Janata Party. On the other hand, Charanjit Singh was spending a lot of money in his/her campaign. In those times, the whip of the Election Commission did not operate like it does today. When the election results came, Charanjit Singh defeated Vijay Kumar Malhotra by more than one lakh votes. In this way, Delhi sent a Sikh to the Lok Sabha for the first time. Atal Bihari Vajpayee somehow won from New Delhi seat in that Lok Sabha election. Janata Party had lost on the remaining six seats. Charanjit Singh later also opened Hotel Le Meridien. he/she never tried his/her hand in politics again after 1980.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author’s own.

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The only Sikh MP

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