Bhim Singh (politician)

rdf:langString Bhim Singh (politician)

rdf:langString Bhim Singh

rdf:langString Bhim Singh

rdf:langString Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India

rdf:langString Singh in 2018

rdf:langString Udhampur

rdf:langString Indian

rdf:langString Member of Lok Sabha

rdf:langString Member of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly

rdf:langString Member of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council

rdf:langString President of Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party

rdf:langString Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party

rdf:langString Office established

rdf:langString Vilakshan Singh

rdf:langString Bhim Singh (17 August 1941 – 31 May 2022) was an Indian politician, activist, lawyer and author. He was the founder, president and chief patron of the socialist and secular Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP). Singh was Panthers Party chairman for 30 years from 1982-2012, chief patron from 2012-2021, and president from 14 February 2021-31 May 2022. In effect with over 40 years of controlling leadership, he was India’s longest serving political party leader, and one of the longest serving leaders in the world. At times, he was criticized for his long standing friendships and legal counsel to socialist dictators worldwide. Singh was an elected member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly from 1977 until 1987, from Chenani-Ghordi (Udhampur). As party leader, he contested the 1988 Udhampur by-election to the Lok Sabha. Despite leading by over 30,000 votes at the end of the count, he was declared to have lost in a repoll, and alleged rigging by the coalition. Singh had gone on hunger strike along with Atal Bihari Vajpayee against the Election Commission decision, in the poll, and brought the case before the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, that overturned the result. Following which, he was nominated twice by Prime Ministers of India, Narasimha Rao, and Manmohan Singh as member of the National Integration Council in 1991 and 2008. In 1985, in a landmark hearing, Singh was awarded fifty thousand rupees by the Supreme Court of India for his false imprisonment, after being suspended as a Member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. In 2017, Singh defeated the government of India in the Supreme Court, enabling bar council elections to be held in Jammu and Kashmir for the very first time, in accordance to the Advocates Act 1961. Prior to quitting the then ruling Congress party, he had reached its highest ranks. In 1973 he was appointed as president of the Youth Congress in Jammu and Kashmir by then prime minister Indira Gandhi, then served in 1977 as vice president of Indian Youth Congress, and finally as a general secretary for the All India Congress Committee. Singh had survived an assassination attempt by the senior superintendent of police, while leading the Jammu student protests of 1966. He was known as Sher-e-Jammu (Lion of Jammu). In the 2002 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative assembly elections, the Panthers Party under Bhim Singh’s leadership won all seats in its strong hold, the Udhampur district, and provided two cabinet ministers as part of a ruling collation government along with PDP and Congress party. Until his death, he was reported as a potential candidate for the 2022 Indian vice presidential election and the presidential election.