Banarasi Das

Banarasi Das Biography

Banarasi Das was a prominent politician from the state of Uttar Pradesh, who served as the 11th Chief Minister of the Indian state. He served the term during the period, 28 February 1979 - 17 February 1980, preceded by Ram Naresh Yadav. He remained as state’s CM for approximately one year. This popular leader was fondly called Babu Banarasi Das, and he lived during the period, 1912-1985. He was also a freedom fighter in the pre-independent era, and served as a parliamentarian during 1977 to 1979. He represented Janata Party, and got elected from Bulandshahr Lok Sabha Constituency.

Banarasi Das was born in the year 1912 in Utarawli, Bulandshahr, present day Uttar Pradesh during the British rule. He got married to Vidyawati Devi and 10 children, of whom two of his sons joined politics later. Harendra Agarwal, his elder son in still active in politics, while his youngest son Late Dr Akhilesh Das Gupta was a former Rajya sabha MP and Union Minister in Manmohan Singh’s cabinet.

As a dynamic young man, he joined freedom struggle movement in his late teens, and has been jailed several times by British. He participated in the non-violence movement of Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Later he established as a leading political leader in the post-independent era. Banarasi Das can be described in three words - brilliant organizer, interpreter and orator, and a person who was not willing to give up even during his death time.

He led a simple life, and his command on languages and a practical approach to problems made him an exceptional person then. In his political career, he remained as Minister, Speaker, Member of Parliament (Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. He passed away in 1985.

Published: July 23, 2018

Updated: July 23, 2018