09 July,2024 10:32 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Rajnath Singh. File Pic
Born on July 10, 1951, in Chandauli, Uttar Pradesh, Rajnath Singh's journey into politics began early in life. Singh has served as the BJP national president twice in his political career. On his birthday, here's a look at Defence Minister's political journey.
Rajnath Singh was born into a farmer's family.
A post-graduate in Physics, Rajnath Singh joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) during his youth, where he honed his leadership skills and ideological grounding. Having completed his post-graduation from Gorakhpur University. Singh has also worked as a lecturer of Physics at K.B. Post-Graduate College Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh.
Since his youth, Rajnath Singh has maintained connections with Mahant Digvijaynath and the Gorakhnath math community, no doubt facilitated by his time as a student at Gorakhpur University.
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When the anti-corruption activist Jayaprakash Narayan and the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the BJP's forerunner, united against the Indira Gandhi government, Rajnath and thousands of other JP movement members were taken into custody.
Rajnath Singh's association with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) signified his foray into mainstream politics. His ascent through the party levels was rapid; in the late 1990s, he was Uttar Pradesh's Minister of Education. During his stint as Uttar Pradesh's Chief Minister from 2000 to 2002, he put a lot of emphasis on infrastructure development, peace and order, and welfare programs for the state's residents.
Due to his exceptional administrative skills and leadership abilities, Rajnath Singh was able to advance and became the BJP's National President in 2005. Throughout his term, he significantly contributed to the development of the party's national organisational framework and agenda.
Rajnath Singh has been elected to the Lok Sabha multiple times, representing different constituencies, including Lucknow and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh.
Rajnath Singh also played a key role in the party's spectacular victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Rajnath Singh was appointed India's Defence Minister in the Narendra Modi government as a result of his unrelenting devotion to national security and his commitment to public service.
Significant changes to the Ministry of Defence have taken place under his direction with the goals of modernising the armed forces, boosting domestic defense capabilities, and encouraging self-reliance in defense production.