Sardar Buta Singh - Political Career

Political Career

He has been eight times elected as a member of Lok Sabha in 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 12th and 13th Lok Sabha. He has been several times union minister and has held import portfolios like railways, commerce, parliametary affairs, sports, agriculture,communications,housing and is former Union Home Minister under Rajiv Gandhi's Government.He was considered very close to the former prime minister Smt. Indira Gandhi and Later became a close aide of Shri Rajiv Gandhi.He was the member of the core group with which the prime minister's power rested during outer visits of the prime minister in Rajiv Gandhi's era.He was also the governor of Bihar from 2004-2006. He was the home minister of India during the early 1990s. He is a mazhabi Sikh or valmiki by caste and was first elected to the Indian Parliament in sadhna. He has written a book "Punjabi Speaking State - A Critical Analysis" and a collection of articles on Punjabi Literature and Sikh History.It is being said that now in the upcoming aicc reshuffle Buta Singh can be made the party General Secretary or may be inducted into the cwc as a permanent invitee it is making news that buta singh could be given charge of important states where elections are due in 2013 .Buta singh had earlier also been the congress (i) General secretary from 1978-1980.He was the one who was selected by Smt Indira Gandhi to select the party symbol at the time of party breakout.He was very closely involved in the operation Blue Star with Smt Indira Gandhi and he was the one who built the golden temple after it was badly destroyed in the Blue Star.During the Rajiv era, he functioned as a virtual No. 2 in the government, upstaging two senior ministers, P.V. Narasimha Rao and P. Shiv Shankar. He had more access to Rajiv than any other minister.His name was also in the finalists for the post of President of India along with Giani Zail Singh in the Indira era.He enjoys a good public support all around India specially in states like Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan. He had been very closely associated with the congress President Smt Sonia Gandhi in the 2004 general elections. He was the first dalit Home Minister of India.He was also the chairperson of asian games organizing committee when asian games were held in india in 1982.He is a close associate of Gandhi family.