Sitaram Kesri
Encyclopedia
Sitaram Kesri was elected to the Lok Sabha
from Katihar
Lok Sabha Constituency (fourth) when he won on a janata party ticket and was given a last moment call by then Bihar Janata Party President S N Sinha; he represented Bihar in the Rajya Sabha
several times: July 1971 to April 1974, April 1974 to April 1980, July 1980 to July 1986, April 1988 to April 1994, April 1994 to April 2000. He was Union Minister during the reigns of Indira Gandhi
, Rajiv Gandhi
and P.V. Narasimha Rao as Prime Minister of India
.
Kesri also served as treasurer of the Congress party for more than a decade.From September 1996 to March 1998. In addition, he was elected unanimously as the President of the Congress Parliamentary Party
on 3 January 1997. For 16 years under 3 different Congress Presidents he was the treasurer.
After P.V. Narasimha Rao stepped down as president of Congress in September 1996, Kesri was appointed new President of the party. The following years were difficult for the Congress party. Kesri's lack of popular support among the masses caused further damage to the party. Kesri's most controversial act was the sudden withdrawal of support to H.D. Deve Gowda's United Front government that led to the fall of the government in April 1997. However compromise was reached and the UF elected I. K. Gujral as the new leader with continued support from the Congress party.In June 1997, he was duly elected President of the Congress party by defeating Sharad Pawar
and Rajesh Pilot
.
In the first week of November 1997,part of report of Jain commission enquiring into the conspiracy angle of assassination of Rajiv Gandhi
was leaked to the press.It was reported that the Jain Commission had indicted Dravid Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for its ties with LTTE, the organization involved in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi
.DMK was one of the constituents of the United Front that was in power at the center.Moreover the party had three ministers in the council of ministers headed by Prime Minister Gujral.Congress party demanded removal of the ministers belonging to DMK from the government.Between 20 and 28 November 1997, exchange of letters took place between Sitaram Kesri and Prime Minister Gujral.However Prime Minister refused to meet the demand of the Congress party.Finally, on 28 November 1997, Congress withdrew support to Gujral government. When no alternative government could be formed,Lok Sabha was dissolved, paving the way for mid-term elections .
Congress party was not adequately prepared for the mid-term elections. A number of senior leaders of the party, such as Rangarajan Kumaramangalam
, Aslam Sherkhan and other leaders openly expressed displeasure with Kesri's leadership and left the party. After Sonia Gandhi decided to campaign for the party,she replaced Kesri as the main campaigner for the party. Sonia attracted huge crowds in her campaign rallies but could not win the election for the party. Nevertheless Congress party could maintain a respectable tally of 140. During the election campaign, there was a series of bomb blasts in Coimbatore, where BJP President L.K. Advani was scheduled to address the election rally. About 50 people were killed in the blasts. After the blasts, Kesri made a statement that the bomb blasts in Coimbatore were the handiwork of RSS, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and moreover he had the proof of RSS involvement in the blasts. The RSS sued Kesri for defamation but Kesri was granted bail by a city court in 1998
After the electoral defeat, Kesri was stripped of his post in March 1998 by the Congress Working Committee
. Sonia Gandhi
was appointed President of the Congress party in his place.
Kesri's removal from the Congress Working Committee
is considered by some as the betrayal of the party constitution considering how Pranab Mukherjee
and others conspired to eliminate Kesri for Sonia Gandhi from the party.
Kesri, along with other members of the Working Committee including Tariq Anwar was "roughed up" at Congress Party headquarters on 19 May 1999 by what has been described as an "angry mob" and "Congress goons", following the split in the Congress that led to the formation of the Nationalist Congress Party
. After his exit from the office, he maintained a relatively low profile in politics. He was also denied party candidature for Rajya Sabha when his term ended in April 2000.
He died on 24 October 2000.
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
from Katihar
Katihar
Katihar is a town situated in the north eastern part of Bihar state in India. It is headquarters of Katihar district.- Geography :Katihar is located at...
Lok Sabha Constituency (fourth) when he won on a janata party ticket and was given a last moment call by then Bihar Janata Party President S N Sinha; he represented Bihar in the Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
several times: July 1971 to April 1974, April 1974 to April 1980, July 1980 to July 1986, April 1988 to April 1994, April 1994 to April 2000. He was Union Minister during the reigns of Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
, Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the sixth Prime Minister of India . He took office after his mother's assassination on 31 October 1984; he himself was assassinated on 21 May 1991. He became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he took office at the age of 40.Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira...
and P.V. Narasimha Rao as Prime Minister of India
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
.
Kesri also served as treasurer of the Congress party for more than a decade.From September 1996 to March 1998. In addition, he was elected unanimously as the President of the Congress Parliamentary Party
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
on 3 January 1997. For 16 years under 3 different Congress Presidents he was the treasurer.
After P.V. Narasimha Rao stepped down as president of Congress in September 1996, Kesri was appointed new President of the party. The following years were difficult for the Congress party. Kesri's lack of popular support among the masses caused further damage to the party. Kesri's most controversial act was the sudden withdrawal of support to H.D. Deve Gowda's United Front government that led to the fall of the government in April 1997. However compromise was reached and the UF elected I. K. Gujral as the new leader with continued support from the Congress party.In June 1997, he was duly elected President of the Congress party by defeating Sharad Pawar
Sharad Pawar
Sharadchandra Govindrao Pawar , popularly known as SAHEB , is the president of the Nationalist Congress Party which he founded in 1999, after separating from the Indian National Congress...
and Rajesh Pilot
Rajesh Pilot
Rajesh Pilot was an Indian politician and a minister in the Government of India. He belonged to the Indian National Congress party and represented the Dausa constituency in Lok Sabha....
.
In the first week of November 1997,part of report of Jain commission enquiring into the conspiracy angle of assassination of Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the sixth Prime Minister of India . He took office after his mother's assassination on 31 October 1984; he himself was assassinated on 21 May 1991. He became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he took office at the age of 40.Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira...
was leaked to the press.It was reported that the Jain Commission had indicted Dravid Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for its ties with LTTE, the organization involved in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the sixth Prime Minister of India . He took office after his mother's assassination on 31 October 1984; he himself was assassinated on 21 May 1991. He became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he took office at the age of 40.Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira...
.DMK was one of the constituents of the United Front that was in power at the center.Moreover the party had three ministers in the council of ministers headed by Prime Minister Gujral.Congress party demanded removal of the ministers belonging to DMK from the government.Between 20 and 28 November 1997, exchange of letters took place between Sitaram Kesri and Prime Minister Gujral.However Prime Minister refused to meet the demand of the Congress party.Finally, on 28 November 1997, Congress withdrew support to Gujral government. When no alternative government could be formed,Lok Sabha was dissolved, paving the way for mid-term elections .
Congress party was not adequately prepared for the mid-term elections. A number of senior leaders of the party, such as Rangarajan Kumaramangalam
Rangarajan Kumaramangalam
Phanindranath Rangarajan Kumaramangalam was a prominent politician of the Indian National Congress and later the Bharatiya Janata Party and a Member of Parliament from the Salem constituency from 1984 to 1996 and Tiruchirapalli constituency from 1998 to 2000...
, Aslam Sherkhan and other leaders openly expressed displeasure with Kesri's leadership and left the party. After Sonia Gandhi decided to campaign for the party,she replaced Kesri as the main campaigner for the party. Sonia attracted huge crowds in her campaign rallies but could not win the election for the party. Nevertheless Congress party could maintain a respectable tally of 140. During the election campaign, there was a series of bomb blasts in Coimbatore, where BJP President L.K. Advani was scheduled to address the election rally. About 50 people were killed in the blasts. After the blasts, Kesri made a statement that the bomb blasts in Coimbatore were the handiwork of RSS, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and moreover he had the proof of RSS involvement in the blasts. The RSS sued Kesri for defamation but Kesri was granted bail by a city court in 1998
After the electoral defeat, Kesri was stripped of his post in March 1998 by the Congress Working Committee
Congress Working Committee
Congress Working Committee is the executive committee of the Congress Party in India, it typically consisting of fifteen members elected from the All India Congress Committee or AICC, and is headed by the Working President....
. Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi is an Italian-born Indian politician and the President of the Indian National Congress, one of the major political parties of India. She is the widow of former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi...
was appointed President of the Congress party in his place.
Kesri's removal from the Congress Working Committee
Congress Working Committee
Congress Working Committee is the executive committee of the Congress Party in India, it typically consisting of fifteen members elected from the All India Congress Committee or AICC, and is headed by the Working President....
is considered by some as the betrayal of the party constitution considering how Pranab Mukherjee
Pranab Mukherjee
Pranab Kumar Mukherjee is the current Finance Minister of India and leader of the current Lok Sabha.Mukherjee is a senior member of the Cabinet Committees on Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Parliamentary Affairs, Political Affairs, Prices, Security, Unique Identification Authority of India,...
and others conspired to eliminate Kesri for Sonia Gandhi from the party.
Kesri, along with other members of the Working Committee including Tariq Anwar was "roughed up" at Congress Party headquarters on 19 May 1999 by what has been described as an "angry mob" and "Congress goons", following the split in the Congress that led to the formation of the Nationalist Congress Party
Nationalist Congress Party
The Nationalist Congress Party is a centre to centre left political party primarily based in the state of Maharashtra, India.-Background:...
. After his exit from the office, he maintained a relatively low profile in politics. He was also denied party candidature for Rajya Sabha when his term ended in April 2000.
He died on 24 October 2000.