Anand Singh (Uttar Pradesh politician)

Raja Anand Singh
Minister of Agriculture, Uttar Pradesh Government
Raja of Mankapur
PredecessorRaja Raghvendra Pratap Singh
Titular reign1964–1971
In office
2012–2014
Chief MinisterAkhilesh Yadav
Succeeded byPandit Singh
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office
1971–1977
Preceded bySucheta Kriplani
Succeeded bySatya Deo Singh
ConstituencyGonda
In office
1980–1991
Preceded bySatya Deo Singh
Succeeded byBrij Bhushan Sharan Singh
ConstituencyGonda
Member of Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly
In office
2012–2017
Succeeded byPrabhat Kumar Verma
ConstituencyGaura
In office
1964–1971
Preceded byRaja Raghvendra Pratap Singh
Succeeded byRam Garib
ConstituencyMankapur
Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Sugarcane Federation Ltd
In office
1965–1989
Personal details
Born(1939-01-04)4 January 1939
Mankapur, United Provinces, British India
Died5 July 2025(2025-07-05) (aged 86)
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
Political partySamajwadi Party
Other political
affiliations
Indian National Congress & Bahujan Samaj Party
SpouseRani Veena Kumari
Children4 including Kirti Vardhan Singh
Residence(s)Mankapur, Gonda, India
EducationB.Sc.
Alma materColvin College University of Allahabad
OccupationPolitician
As of 17 September, 2006

Raja Anand Singh (4 January 1939 – 5 July 2025) was an Indian politician who was elected as a Member of Parliament to the 5th, 7th, 8th, and 9th Lok Sabha from the Gonda constituency.[1] He was also a Member of Legislative Assembly and Agriculture Minister for the Government of Uttar Pradesh led by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in his ministry from 2012 to 2017.

Born into the royal family of Mankapur state, Raja Anand Singh's political journey began with his victory in the 1971 elections, where he represented the Congress Syndicate faction against his uncle, who was backed by the Congress Indicate (I).

Singh was until his death the President of the British India Association Awadh and the President of the Raghvendra Rural Development and Research Organisation (RRDRO).[2] He was the son of Raja Raghvendra Pratap Singh,[3] and the grandson of Raja Raghuraj Singh. He was married to Veena Singh, the daughter of ex. Rajya Sabha MP Bindumati Devi. Anand Singh was the father of the current Member of Parliament and Union Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh.

He gained attention for his controversial decision to restrict inquiries into complaints against officials within his department without his prior approval. This decision came in the wake of a significant scam involving approximately Rs 59 crore, which was uncovered through a departmental inquiry. Despite facing criticism and discontent from within his own ranks, including from his deputy, Manoj Pandey, Singh defended his actions by asserting the need to verify the authenticity of complaints before initiating inquiries, which eventually turned out to be honest and beneficial decision, stopping any biased suspensions or terminations of officials in his department unlawfully.[4]

In 2021, he made the headlines yet again before the UP Vidhan Sabha elections, for writing a strongly worded letter to JP Nadda regarding the ticket of Gaura MLA Patel Prabhat Verma, stating the BJP should reconsider giving the ticket to this MLA, as Singh himself being a retired MLA from Gaura, heard tales of the woes of the people under the rule of Prabhat Verma every day and could not stand them. He threatened to put an end to his political exile and contest from the Gaura seat again, should BJP give the ticket to Verma. But the matter was resolved in a few weeks' time.

Raja Anand Singh taking oath as Minister in the UP Govt.

Singh died from suspected heart failure in Lucknow, on 5 July 2025, at the age of 86.[5]

References

  1. ^ "Lok Sabha Members Bioprofile-". Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  2. ^ "Concept of using cages to rear fish all set to revolutionise fish farming". 30 September 1989.
  3. ^ "Indian Rajputs".
  4. ^ Fareed, Faisal (20 June 2013). "No probe against officials without my nod: Minister". The Indian Express.
  5. ^ Former MP and father of MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh passes away at 87