Vishwanath Pratap Singh

Vishwanath Pratap Singh

Date of Birth:	25 June 1931
Place of Birth:	Allahabad, U.P
Prime Minister of India
Tenure Order:	7th Prime Minister
Political party	Janata Dal
Took Office:	2 December 1989
Left Office:	10 November 1990
Predecessor:	Rajiv Gandhi
Successor:	Chandra Shekhar

Vishwanath Pratap Singh (born 25 June 1931) was the seventh Prime Minister of the Republic of India.

After resigning as Congress cabinet minister under Rajiv Gandhi's government, Singh floated an opposition party Janata Dal to protest a defense contract. His party fought elections in 1989, alongside BJP and the Communist parties. He became Prime Minister following Gandhi's defeat in that general election. Singh held office for slightly less than a year, from December 2, 1989 - November 10, 1990.

Within few days of taking office, terrorists kidnapped the daughter of the Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed (currently Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir). His government caved into the demand for releasing militants in exchange. His tenure was marred by a civil unrest caused by his caste-politics which university and colleges fought against him for allocating a huge chunk of government jobs based on one's caste. V. P. Singh was alienated after his government decided to implement the ideas of Mandal Commission, which favored affirmative action for the lower caste. He was ousted when BJP withdrew support to the National Front government after its leader L.K. Advani was arrested during his rath yatra that supported a construction of a Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.