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Morarji DesaiPrime Minister of India
Date of Birth: 29.02.1896
Country:  India |
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Biography of Morarji Desai
Morarji Desai (1896–1995) was the Prime Minister of India. He was born on February 29, 1896 in the village of Bhadeli, in Western India. Desai completed his education at the University of Bombay. In 1918, he joined the civil service in Bombay and resigned in 1930 to join Mahatma Gandhi's civil disobedience movement. He became a member of the Indian National Congress (INC).
Political Career
In 1937, Desai was elected to the provincial legislative assembly and became a cabinet member. In 1939, INC ministers resigned from their positions to protest against Britain's decision to involve India in World War II. During the war, Desai, along with other party activists, was imprisoned. In 1946, he was re-elected as a member of the legislative assembly in Bombay and served as the Minister of State for Home Affairs and Revenue. From 1952 to 1956, he was the Chief Minister of the state. In 1956, he joined the government as the Minister of Trade and Industry. Desai was elected to the Indian Parliament in 1957 and appointed as the Minister of Finance in 1958.
Leadership Struggles
In 1961, Desai was considered a potential successor to Jawaharlal Nehru. However, the INC leadership decided to appoint Lal Bahadur Shastri as the Prime Minister. In 1963, Desai, along with other INC leaders, was forced to resign. After Nehru's death in 1964, Desai became one of the candidates for the position of Prime Minister, but the INC leadership chose Indira Gandhi. In 1967, Desai joined Indira Gandhi's cabinet. In November 1969, the party split, and Desai went into opposition.
Arrest and Return to Power
In 1975, in response to growing opposition against her, Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency. Desai was arrested and remained in prison until January 1977. He later led a coalition of several non-communist opposition parties called the Janata Party, which emerged victorious in the subsequent parliamentary elections. Desai became the Prime Minister, but the Janata Party dissolved in 1979, and he resigned. Morarji Desai passed away on April 10, 1995 in Bombay.
