Birender Singh (politician, born 1946)

'''Ch. Birender Singh''' (born 25 March 1946) is a senior Indian political leader. He previously served as Minister of Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Sanitation & Drinking Water as well as the Union Minister of Steel from 2016 to 2019 in the Narendra Modi led NDA Government in India.

Birender Singh is the grandson of great peasant leader Sir Chhotu Ram. His father Chaudhary Neki Ram was a politician in joint Punjab. After being associated with the Indian National Congress for over 42 long years, Chaudhary Birender Singh declared joining the Bharatiya Janata Party on 16 August 2014 in a political rally organised in Jind, Haryana in the presence of President of the BJP, Amit Shah.

Early life
Singh comes from a socially, politically and economically influential family. His grandfather Sir Chhotu Ram was an iconic Jat and peasant leader in India and Pakistan. He graduated from Government College, Rohtak and completed his law degree at Panjab University, Chandigarh. During this development, Singh was active in sports, captaining the district. Jind cricket team 1964–67 and playing with Punjab University Team (1969–70).

Birender Singh married Premlata Singh on 9 June 1970. Premlata Singh has been a member of the legislative assembly of Haryana representing Uchana Kalan constituency from 2014 to 2019.

His son Brijendra Singh was previously a bureaucrat who served as an IAS officer of 1998 Batch and was posted in Haryana for 21 years. He elected as Member of Parliament from Hisar in 2019 Indian general election.

Political life
Birender Singh contested his first election in 1972 & from 1972–77, he was the Chairman, Block Samiti Uchana. He contested the legislative assembly election in 1977 from Uchana Kalan constituency on Indian National Congress ticket and won the seat with a sizeable margin, despite strong anti-congress wave in the country. This made him a star political figure in India overnight.

Birender Singh has been a five times legislator for Haryana from Uchana constituency (1977–82, 1982–84, 1994–96, 1996–2000 and 2005–09) and served three terms as Cabinet Minister in Haryana.

Ch. Birender Singh has also served the country as a Parliamentarian 3 times. In 1984, Ch. Birender Singh was elected as Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Hissar Constituency, after defeating Om Prakash Chautala by a giant margin. In 2010, Birender Singh was elected as Congress MP Rajya Sabha from Haryana for a 6 years term (2010–16).

Birender Singh joined Bharatiya Janata Party on 29 August 2014, after tendering his resignation from the membership of Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India on 28 August 2014.

In November 2014, Ch. Birender Singh took oath as a Cabinet Minister, Govt. Of India. He was given the charge of the Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. He was re-election to Rajya Sabha for third time on 11 June 2016

In July 2016, during the second cabinet reshuffle of the Narendra Modi ministry, Chaudhary Birender Singh replaced Narendra Singh Tomar as the Steel Minister.

Birender Singh resigned as the member of the union cabinet minister before 2019 Indian general election as the BJP decided to field his son Brijendra from Hisar parliamentary constituency.

Positions held
Singh has held numerous key positions. He was Chairman, Govt. Assurances Committee (1978–79) and Chairman, Estimates Committee (1981–82), Haryana.

He has also served on the Estimates Committee (1985–87) & Consultative Committee for ministry of Defense (1987–89) and Consultative Committee for Ministry of Energy (1987–91), Government of India.

Birender Singh served the chairman, Standing Committee of Parliament on Human Resource, Women & Child Development, Youth & Sports ministry from Sept 2013 to April 2014.

On the political front, Birender Singh has been entrusted with many key responsibilities. He was made the President of HPCC in 1990 and led congress to a landslide victory in 1991. In 2014, he was made the general secretary of AICC in charge of poll-bound states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. Ch. Birender Singh led the party to victory in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh elections, which were fought under his guidance.

As of today, Ch. Birender Singh is a cabinet minister ( Steel ) in the Narendra Modi Government.