Longest-serving Haryana CM Bhajan Lal remembered on his birth anniversary

People from different walks of life paid tributes to former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal on his 94th birth anniversary today. Lal’s son and BJP leader Kuldeep Bishnoi, grandson and Adampur MLA Bhavya Bishnoi, Fatehabad MLA and nephew Dura Ram, other family members and supporters gathered at his Samadhi Sthal in Adampur to pay floral tributes today.

While remembering his father, Kuldeep Bishnoi said Bhajan Lal contributed his life for the progress and welfare of the state and helped Haryana prosper. He said during his governance, Bhajan Lal nurtured the entire Haryana and took it to new heights of development.

“Bhajan Lal was a popular leader of 36 communities of the state. He created a special identity for himself in every section of society with his work. Even today, a glimpse of the development work done by him can be seen in every area of the state,” he said.

Bhajan Lal , who is known as the PhD in politics due to his clever political moves during his career, had rose to the echelons of power from ground. He had started his political career as gram panchayat member and later went on to become chairman of the block samiti, MLA, minister and the chief minister of the state.

Lad was chosen MLA from Adampur nine times which remained an unbeatable stronghold of his family till now. His grandson Bhavya Bishnoi is the BJP MLA from here. He joined the poll fray in a bid to retain the seat during this Assembly election. Bhajan Lal’s family won Adampur seat 16 times till the 2022 bye-election.

Bhajan Lal was born on October 6, 1930, in a province of Pakistan in the undivided India. He later shifted to Mohammadpur Rohi village in Fatehabad district and dabbled in different ventures like selling ghee and cloth before making a foray into politics.

Lal defeated stalwart leaders of his times, including Devi Lal, his son Ranjit Singh, Bansi Lal’s son Surender Singh and also won the Lok Sabha polls from three different constituencies, including Hisar, Karnal and Faridabad. He suffered the only setback of his political career from Karnal Lok Sabha segment when a retired IAS officer ID Swami defeated him in 1999. Besides serving as the chief minister of Haryana, Lal was a Cabinet Minister for Agriculture in the Rajiv Gandhi-led government at the Centre.

Bhajan Lal was also a part of the Janata Party formed against the Congress leader Indira Gandhi after the emergency. Lal, however, emerged as a prominent figure in the Haryana politics when he broke away MLAs from the Janata Party-led government headed by Devi Lal in June 1979 and became the chief minister himself. Lal sprang a surprise when he along with the entire Cabinet joined the Congress after Indira Gandhi returned to power at the Centre in 1980.