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UP's new chief minister is an old hand at coalition governments

Ram Prakash Gupta (76), who will be sworn in as the 19th chief minister of Uttar Pradesh tomorrow, is no stranger to coalition politics.

As a leader of the Bharatiya Jansangha, he held the post of the deputy chief minister in the first ever coalition government in the state that was led by Charan Singh in 1967.

Almost in oblivion for 32 years, he was living in a two-room 'janata type' flat in peaceful Park Lane area, just about a furlong away from the official residence of the chief minister, 5 Kalidas Marg, where he will move in tomorrow evening.

Marked by simplicity and humility, Gupta emerged as a consensus candidate to replace Kalyan Singh as the chief minister of the state after his party was routed in the last Lok Sabha elections. The change took place after almost a month-long political drama.

Assembly elections is UP are due in 2001.

Gupta, who hails from Sikandara in Bulandshahar district of Uttar Pradesh, was born on November 1, 1924 at 'Sukua Dhakua' in Jhansi district.

Ram Prakash Gupta married Nirmala Devi on December 12, 1952 and has 3 sons and two daughters from her.

He started his public life as a 'pracharak' of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh at Allahabad in 1942 immediately after completing his studies. He is post-graduate in science from Allahabad University with a gold medal to his credit. Incidentally, in the university he was senior to the present chief of the RSS, Prof Rajendra Singh alias Rajju Bhaiyya. Both belong to Bulandshahar district.

Gupta later shifted to Lucknow and became deputy mayor of the state capital in 1964. The same year he was elected as a member of the state legislative council. In his very first term as a member of the upper house from 1964 to 1970 he rose to become leader of the then 'Jan Sangh' and also the deputy chief minister in the Charan Singh-led coalition (Samyukta Vidhayak Dal) government in the state in 1967.

During emergency he was arrested under MISA in November 1975 and remained in Naini Central Jail till march 1977.

He was first elected to the state assembly in 1977 on a Janata Party ticket from Lucknow (central) which he went on to represent four times. In 1977 he became the industries minister in the Janata Party government led by Ram Naresh Yadav.

Before becoming the chief minister, he was holding the post of the deputy chairman of the state planning commission.

He is only the second person to become chief minister of Uttar Pradesh after Tribhuvan Narain Singh (in October 1970) without being a member of either house of the state legislature.

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