Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) Jammu & Kashmir Incharge Vinay Pradhan paid tribute to former Union Minister and RLD founder Chaudhry Ajit Singh on his 5th death anniversary, remembering him as a visionary leader who successfully bridged technology, policy, and farmer welfare.
Speaking on the occasion, Vinay Pradhan said that May 6 marks five years since India lost one of its most respected farmer leaders and technocrats. The son of former Prime Minister Chaudhry Charan Singh, Ajit Singh left behind a promising career in the United States to dedicate his life to Indian politics and the welfare of farmers, especially in Western Uttar Pradesh.
The Reformer Before Economic Reforms
Pradhan highlighted that long before India’s economic liberalization in 1991, Ajit Singh had already drafted major reforms aimed at ending the License Raj. As Industry Minister in the V.P. Singh government (1989–90), he prepared a framework to free Indian industries from excessive bureaucratic controls. Though the proposal was not passed at the time, many of its ideas later became central to the economic reforms implemented under Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao and Finance Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.
Champion of Sugarcane Farmers
Calling him the “sugarcane messiah” of Western Uttar Pradesh, Pradhan said Ajit Singh played a key role in strengthening the region’s rural economy. He pushed for the establishment of more than 40 sugar mills across districts such as Baghpat, Shamli, and Muzaffarnagar, helping farmers receive direct payments and reducing dependence on middlemen.
A Technocrat in Politics
An alumnus of IIT Kharagpur and the Illinois Institute of Technology, Ajit Singh was among India’s earliest engineer-politicians. Pradhan described him as a clean and approachable leader who remained untouched by corruption allegations throughout his career. He added that Ajit Singh believed in inclusive politics and refused to exploit communal tensions for political gains.
Service Across Key Ministries
Ajit Singh served in several important ministries during his political career, including Food, Agriculture, and Civil Aviation. As Agriculture Minister, he strongly advocated for higher MSPs, debt relief for farmers, and lower taxes on agricultural machinery. During his tenure as Civil Aviation Minister, he worked toward modernization while ensuring air travel remained affordable for ordinary citizens.
Founder of Rashtriya Lok Dal
After leaving the Congress party, Ajit Singh founded the Rashtriya Lok Dal in 1996 with a vision centered on farmers’ rights and rural development. Despite forming alliances with different political parties over the years, he consistently maintained that farmers’ interests should remain above political divisions.
Pradhan noted that even in his later years, Ajit Singh worked tirelessly to promote communal harmony in Western Uttar Pradesh following the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.
Chaudhry Ajit Singh passed away due to Covid-19 complications on May 6, 2021, at the age of 82. Today, his political legacy is being carried forward by his son and RLD president Jayant Chaudhary.
“In the villages of Baghpat, people still fondly remember him as ‘Engineer Sahab’ — a leader who proved that policy, technology, and politics could work together for the welfare of farmers,” Vinay Pradhan said.
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