Madhavsinh Solanki: A four-time Gujarat CM who signified 'politics' in the state

Former Gujarat Chief Minister Madhavsinh Solanki passed away on January 9 in Gandhinagar. He was 94. Madhavsinh Solanki was a veteran Congress leader. Solanki dominated politics in Gujarat before the rise of the BJP in the 1990s. Under his leadership, the Congress had won 149 out of 182 seats in the state elections held in 1985, a record which still remains unbroken.

Gandhinagar: Veteran Congress leader and former Gujarat Chief Minister Madhavsinh Solanki passed away on January 9, who was four times chief minister and had completed his full five-year term.

Solanki was a scribe-turned-politician who went on to become CM of Gujarat on four occasions, a master strategist whose famous 'KHAM' formula of social engineering ensured a landslide victory for the Congress in 1985. As an avid reader--Madhavsinh Solanki wore many hats in his career which included a brief stint as a foreign affairs minister.

The death of the party veteran, who dominated the politics of Gujarat before the rise of the BJP and Narendra Modi, is a big loss for the Congress which had won 149 out of the 182 seats in the state elections held in 1985, a record-of-sorts which still remains unbroken. He was the seventh chief minister of Gujarat, who came to power by winning the maximum number of seats.

Born in a modest family in Piludra village in Bharuch district, Solanki started his career as a journalist with 'Gujarat Samachar' before joining politics.

He was elected as president of the Gujarat Congress in 1975 and became the chief minister on December 24, 1976. Shortly thereafter on April 10, 1977, he resigned. He became the chief minister again on June 7, 1980, and completed his full five-year term. Solanki had also served as a two-term MP of Rajya Sabha from Gujarat. During Madhavsinh’s tenure, anti-reservation riots occurred.

In 1981, the Gujarat government headed by Madhavsinh Solanki proposed reservation for the socially and economically backward class at the recommendation of the Baxi commission. As a reaction, a state-wide anti-reservation agitation took place which converted into riots causing the deaths of a large number of people.

Solanki resigned in 1985 but came to power again winning a record 149 of the total 182 assembly seats. Till date, this record has not been broken. He had got support of Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi and Muslim votes which became known as KHAM theory.

As a politician, Solanki is credited to introduce the mid-day meal scheme which was later adopted in primary schools in the entire country and for offering free education to girls in Gujarat.

On December 10, 1989, Amarsinh Chaudhary resigned following which Madhavsinh Solanki became the chief minister again. In the general elections to the Gujarat assembly in February 1990, the Congress fared badly, getting only 33 seats out the total 182 because of which Madhavsinh resigned in March 1990.

Another big break in politics came for Solanki when he became External Affairs Minister of India in June 1991.

However, he resigned in March 1992 in the wake of a controversy following his meeting with then Switzerland foreign minister in Davos during which he allegedly made some remarks regarding the Bofors case probe.