Which Chief Ministers became Prime Ministers of India?
Q. Which of the following were Chief Ministers who became Prime Ministers?
1) Morarji Desai.
2) P. V. Narasimha Rao.
3) Charan Singh.
4) I. K. Gujral.- Published on 01 Mar 17a. 1, 2 and 3
b. 1, 3 and 4
c. 2 and 4
d. All of the above
ANSWER: 1, 2 and 3
- Five people became Prime Ministers after being Chief Ministers of their respective States.
- They were - Morarji Desai, Charan Singh, V. P. Singh, P. V. Narasimha Rao and H. D. Deve Gowda.
- Morarji Desai was the Chief Minister of the erstwhile Bombay State during 1952-56.
- He became the first non-Congress Prime Minister in March 1977.
- Charan Singh, who succeeded him as the PM in 1979, was the Chief Minister of the undivided Uttar Pradesh in 1967-1968 and again in 1970.
- V. P. Singh, also from U.P., became Prime Minister in the National Front government (December 1989-November 1990).
- P. V. Narasimha Rao, the first Prime Minister from South India, held the post from 1991-1996.
- He was Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh between 1971-1973.
- H. D. Deve Gowda was Chief Minister of Karnataka when he was chosen to lead the United Front government in June 1996.
Many have described the post of the PM as follows -
1. Lord Morely - He described Prime Minister as ‘primus inter pares’ (first among equals) and ‘keystone of the cabinet arch’.
2. Sir William Vernor Harcourt - He described Prime Minister as ‘inter stellas luna minores’ (a moon among lesser stars).
3. Jennings - All roads in the constitution lead to the Prime Minister.
4. H. J. Laski - On the relationship between the Prime Minister and the cabinet, he said that the Prime Minister “is central to its formation, central to its life, and central to its death”. He described him as“the pivot around which the entire governmental machinery revolves.”
5. H. R. G. Greaves - “The Government is the master of the country and he (Prime Minister) is the master of the Government.”
6. Munro - He called Prime Minister as “the captain of the ship of the state”.
7. Ramsay Muir - He described Prime Minister as “the steersman of steering wheel of the ship of the state.”
