Do you know that in the political history of Madhya Pradesh, the only tribal to become the Chief Minister was the one who belonged to Chhattisgarh. The name of that tribal chief minister was Raja Nareshchandra Singh. Who belonged to the Gond community.
Raja Nareshchandra Singh, the Gond tribal leader of Chhattisgarh, dedicated his entire life to the service of the public, but unfortunately he was forgotten by the political parties. Nareshchandra held the post of minister in Madhya Pradesh for almost two decades after independence. Gond tribal leader Raja Nareshchandra Singh was the king of Sarangarh princely state. With the independence of India, he merged his princely state with the Indian Union.
Raja Nareshchandra, who spent his entire life in the princely states and politics, also took oath as the Chief Minister and finally retired from politics due to political turmoil.
Who was Raja Naresh Chand?
Raja Nareshchand had previously held the responsibility of many important posts of Madhya Pradesh including tribal welfare and electricity department. Raja Nareshchandra Singh ji was the king of Sarangarh state. He was born on November 21, 1908. He received education from Rajkumar College, Raipur.
After completing his education, he gained administrative proficiency by working as a magistrate in Raipur. After this, his father late Rajabahadur Jawahar Singh, C.I.E. Also served on the post of Education Minister during the reign of.
During the severe flood of Mahanadi in the year 1936-37, he took an active part in the relief work and provided food, clothing and shelter to the flood victims and helped the public during the outbreak of cholera epidemic. He married Mrs. Lalita Devi, daughter of Fuljhar Raja (Saraipali-Basna) in the year 1942.
In the year 1948, he merged his state into the newly independent India. In September 1949, Raja Nareshchandra Singh of Sarangarh was nominated in the Legislative Assembly as the representative of the merged princely states of Chhattisgarh and then included in the Cabinet.
In the year 1951, when the first general elections were held in the country, Raja Nareshchandra Singh from the Congress Party won a historic victory from Sarangarh seat. After this election, along with electricity, he was also given the responsibility of Public Works and Tribal Welfare Department.
Nareshchandra Singh became the Chief Minister on 13 March 1969, but on the very 13th day i.e. on 25 March 1969, being fed up with political tricks and tactics, he resigned from the post of Chief Minister along with the Legislative Assembly and announced his retirement from politics.
Due to his resignation in the year 1969, Pusaur Assembly became vacant. His wife Rani Lalita Devi was elected unopposed in the by-election here. Raja Nareshchandra Singh ji laid the foundation of government departments and programs in the interest of tribals in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
As the Public Works Minister, the full credit for the bridge built on Mahanadi at Arang near Raipur in a period of two years can be given to Raja Nareshchandra Singh. Madhya Pradesh Electricity Board was formed during the tenure of Raja Nareshchandra Singh as the Electricity Minister and under his leadership, electricity facilities expanded across the state.
Presently the members of the Sarangarh royal family reside in the Girivilas Palace located in Sarangarh. Self. Kulisha Mishra, granddaughter of Raja Nareshchandra Singh, is currently politically active and is engaged in serving the public following the path taught by her family.
