Bhajan Lal Bishnoi was a politician and three-time chief minister from the Indian state of Haryana. He first became the Chief Minister in 1979, again in 1982, and again in 1991. He also served as the Union Agricultural Minister.
Early life
Bhajan Lal Bishnoi was born on 6 October 1930 in the Kotwali village of British India's Bahawalpurprincely state, which is now in Pakistan. He married Jasmadevi, with whom he had two sons - Chander Mohan Bishnoi and Kuldip Bishnoi and a daughter, Roshni. A farmer by profession, Lal started his political career by becoming a village sarpanch and later the chairman of pamnchayaity samiti of Hisar. He join the Congress Party, and became the president of the Congress Mandal in the region. He was elected to the Haryana Assembly for the first time in 1968 after winning the mid-term polls in Adampur.
Political career
Lal was the chief minister of the Haryana state. His first term began on 28 June 1979. He was re-elected on May 23rd, 1982 serving until July 1985. His third term ran from 23 July 1991 to 11 May 1996. He also served as a union cabinet minister at the centre, holding the Agriculture and Environments and Forest portfolios during Rajiv Gandhi's administration. When Indira Gandhi came to power in January 1980, Lal was serving as CM of Janata Party in Haryana; he immediately defected with the majority of the party's MLAs to Congress and continued as CM. This act revealed him as an opportunist and as an exemplar of 'आया राम गया राम' culture in which opportunist politicians show no loyalty. The victory of the Indian National Congress in Haryana's 2005 elections caused a major rift in its state unit, as it opted to make Bhupinder Hooda, a Jat, the Chief Minister instead of Lal. In 2007, Lal officially announced he would form a new party, called the Haryana Janhit Congress. The key event that brought this about was the suspension of his son Kuldeep Bishnoi from the Indian National Congress, for criticizing the party's central leaders.
Lal fought election from Hissar and defeated Sampat Singh, INLD leader by 6983 votes, Jai parkash of Congress came at third position in a high-profile battle.
