Former Haryana chief minister Bhajan Lal passes away

Hisar - 03 June 2011: Former chief minister, patron and MP of Haryana Janhit Congress Bhajan Lal died in a local hospital this evening following a massive cardiac arrest. The doctor said he suffered brain haemorrhage followinga cardiac arrest. His body has been taken to his Hisar residence. According to family sourc

es the body would be cremated with Bishnoi rituals in Mandi Adampur tomorrow.

Bhajan Lal was born in Koranwali, Bahawalpur District, now in Punjab (Pakistan) in a Bishnois sub-caste. He started his political career as a panch in the Adampur gram panchayat. Later he became the sarpanch of the same.

Bhajan Lal was the chief minister of the Haryana state twice, his first term from June 28, 1979 to July 5, 1985, and his second term from July 23, 1991 to May 11, 1996. He had also served as a union cabinet minister at the centre, holding the Agriculture and Environments & Forest portfolios during Rajiv Gandhi's administration. He has been a central point in Haryana politics, representing the non-Jat caste groups of the state.

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 Bhajan. 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.

Bhajan Lal fought 2009 Lok Sabha election from Hisar and defeated two prominent politicians of Haryana politics, Sampat Singh and Jai Parkash in a high profile battle.

source: Hindustan Times