Arjun Singh (West Bengal politician)

Arjun Singh (born 2 April 1962) is an Indian politician and a member of parliament in the 17th Lok Sabha from Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal.[1][2][3] He contested the 2019 Indian general election as a BJP candidate and won against TMC candidate Dinesh Trivedi.[4]

Arjun Singh
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office
23 May 2019 – 4 June 2024
Preceded byDinesh Trivedi
Succeeded byPartha Bhowmick
ConstituencyBarrackpore
Member of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly
In office
2001–2019
Preceded byBidyut Ganguly
Succeeded byPawan Kumar Singh
ConstituencyBhatpara
Chairman of Bhatpara Municipality
In office
2010–2019
Councillor of Bhatpara Municipality
In office
1995–2019
Personal details
Born (1962-04-02) 2 April 1962 (age 62)
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Political partyBharatiya Janata Party (2019–2022, 2024–present)
Other political
affiliations
Trinamool Congress (1998–2019, 2022–2024)
Indian National Congress (until 1997)
ChildrenPawan Singh
Residence(s)Jagatdal, Kolkata
Occupation
  • Politician
  • social worker
  • businessman
Signature

Previously, Singh had also won Bhatpara assembly seat consecutive four times since 2001 as a Trinamool Congress candidate. He has also been appointed one of the twelve vice-presidents of the West Bengal Unit of BJP on 1 June 2020.[5][6]

On 22 May 2022, he rejoined Trinamool Congress.[7] Singh again joined BJP, quitting TMC on 15 March 2024 before Lok Sabha election.[8]

Personal life

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Singh was born on 2 April 1962 in North 24 Parganas, Kolkata, West Bengal.[9] His father, Satyanarayan Singh, was an active politician from INC and three term MLA from Bhatpara.[10][11][12]

Arjun completed his schooling from Chashma-I-Rahamat High School.[13] He joined Rishi Bankim Chandra Colleges at Naihati for graduation. He stopped his studies due to active involvement in politics. He also worked as Mazdoor Worker for a year in Jute Mills during his early days.[citation needed]

Political career

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Arjun Singh started his political journey by winning Bhatpara Municipality Election as councillor from Indian National Congress in 1995.

He later joined Trinamool Congress and contested state assembly election in 2001 as a Trinamool Congress candidate. He defeated his nearest candidate Ramprasad Kundu of CPI(M) and moved for the first time to state assembly. He has served Bhatpara Assembly since 2001.

Arjun Singh was also a candidate of Trinamool Congress from Barrackpore (Lok Sabha constituency) in the 2004 General Elections[14] but he lost to Tarit Baran Topdar of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

He won his Bhatpara assembly seat consecutive four times since 2001 as Trinamool Congress candidate.[15][16][17][18] Singh was the president of "Hindi wing" of Trinamool Congress.[19] He was also the "State Incharge" of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Punjab of Trinamool Congress, and also the chairman of Bhatpara municipality.[20]

In March 2019, Singh joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Barrackpore Parliamentary seat as a BJP candidate and won.[21][22][23][24][25][4]

In May 2022, he raised the issue of closure of jute-mills in Barrackpore and after it he met Piyush Goyal, Textile Minister of India to solve the issue. According to him, the outcome of the meeting was not satisfactory as he expected.[citation needed] Following this he rejoined Trinamool Congress on 22 May.[7][26]

On 15 March 2024, Singh again joined BJP as Trinamool Congress did not give him a ticket to Lok Sabha election.[8]

Challenges

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Singh won his Lok Sabha seat despite significant challenges.[27][28][29][30][31] He claimed that many cases were made on him by ruling party TMC within the two months after joining BJP to allegedly harass him. Barrackpore Police tried to arrest him before Counting Day of the 2019 Indian general election. Singh appealed to the Supreme Court of India for relief and the court agreed.[32][33] His house was also attacked with bombs and his car was also damaged by a TMC worker who threw stones, bombs and bricks. His son also had to face attacks in his car.

Even after the elections, the violence against Singh continued, his residence was attacked with seven rounds of fire and two bombs were hurled near his office and residence.[34][35][36]

On 1 September 2019, Singh sustained a head injury during a clash between BJP and TMC supporters over control of party-office at Shyamnagar, which is under Jagatdal assembly constituency.[37] He said that his car was vandalised by TMC cadres.[38][39] On 5 July 2020 once again he claimed that his car was vandalised by TMC Cadres at Halisahar, he was present in house of a BJP worker for virtual meeting preparation for JP Nadda. However, local TMC leader Subodh Adhikari denied the claim and said it was the BJP MP who instigated the attack.[40][41]

The Supreme Court on Friday protected BJP leaders Arjun Singh, Kailash Vijayvargiya, Pawan Singh, Mukul Roy and Saurav Singh from any coercive steps to be taken by the West Bengal Police in FIRs registered against them which are pending investigation.[42][43]

References

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  1. ^ "General Election 2019 – Election Commission of India". results.eci.gov.in. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  2. ^ "TMC's Dinesh Trivedi loses to Arjun Singh of BJP in Bengal's". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 24 May 2019. Archived from the original on 24 May 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2019 – via Business Standard.
  3. ^ "In Major Setback to Mamata, BJP's Arjun Singh Wrests Barrackpore Lok Sabha From Dinesh Trivedi". News18. 23 May 2019. Archived from the original on 23 May 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Barrackpur Lok Sabha election results 2019 West Bengal: BJP's Arjun Singh wins against 'mentor' TMC's Dinesh Trivedi". DNA India. 24 May 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Major Reshuffle in Bengal BJP Unit, Arjun Singh Made Party VP, Chandra Bose Sidelined". News18. 1 June 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  6. ^ "Arjun Singh becomes vice-president in Bengal BJP Chandra Bose grandson of Netaji has no post". Jagran.com (in Hindi). 1 June 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  7. ^ a b "BJP MP Arjun Singh returns to Trinamool Congress; huge loss, says saffron party". The Indian Express. 22 May 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  8. ^ a b Mondal, Pranab (14 March 2024). "Denied LS seat, West Bengal MP Arjun Singh set to return to BJP". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  9. ^ "Members : Lok Sabha". 164.100.47.194. Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  10. ^ "General Elections, India, 1971, to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal" (PDF). Constituency-wise Data. Election Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  11. ^ "GENERAL ELECTION, 1972 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF WEST BENGAL" (PDF). Wayback Machine. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  12. ^ "West Bengal Assembly Election Results in 1987". www.elections.in. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  13. ^ "Arjun Singh(Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP)):Constituency- BARRACKPUR(WEST BENGAL) - Affidavit Information of Candidate". myneta.info. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  14. ^ "Arjun Singh (All India Trinamool Congress(AITC)): Constituency – Barrackpore (WEST BENGAL) – Affidavit Information of Candidate". myneta.info. Archived from the original on 31 October 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  15. ^ "West Bengal Assembly Election Results in 2001". elections.in. Archived from the original on 31 October 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  16. ^ "Arjun Singh (Bhartiya Janata Party (AITC)):Constituency- BHATPARA(NORTH 24 PARGANAS) – Affidavit Information of Candidate". myneta.info. Archived from the original on 31 October 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  17. ^ "West Bengal Assembly Election Results in 2006". elections.in. Archived from the original on 31 October 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  18. ^ "Arjun Singh (Bhartiya Janata Party):Constituency- BHATPARA(NORTH 24 PARGANAS) – Affidavit Information of Candidate". myneta.info. Archived from the original on 31 October 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  19. ^ "With eye on 2019 elections, Mamata Banerjee opens Hindi wing in TMC". Zee News. 8 September 2018. Archived from the original on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  20. ^ "Official Web Site of Department of Municipal Affairs, Govt. of West Bengal". wbdma.gov.in. Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  21. ^ PTI (14 March 2019). "Arjun Singh MLA: TMC leader and four-time MLA Arjun Singh joins BJP | India News - Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 December 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  22. ^ Loiwal, Manogya (14 March 2019). "Bengal: TMC MLA Arjun Singh to join BJP, why it is a setback for TMC". India Today. Archived from the original on 8 May 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  23. ^ "TMC leader and four-time MLA Arjun Singh joins BJP". Hindustan Times. 14 March 2019. Archived from the original on 27 February 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  24. ^ Nath, Sujit (14 March 2019). "TMC Strongman Arjun Singh Joins BJP After Mamata Denies LS Ticket, Says Politics Means 'Samjhauta'". News18. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  25. ^ "TMC sitting MLA Arjun Singh joins BJP". www.aninews.in. 14 March 2019. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  26. ^ Mondal, Rittick; Kundu, Indrajit (22 May 2022). "Arjun Singh's ghar wapsi: BJP MP returns to Trinamool after 3 years". India Today. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  27. ^ "BJP Barrackpore candidate Arjun Singh attacked by 'TMC goons' as violence mars phase 5 of voting in WB". Times Now. 6 May 2019. Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  28. ^ "I was attacked by TMC goons: BJP candidate Arjun Singh in West Bengal's Barrackpore". ANI. 6 May 2019. Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  29. ^ "Lok Sabha election 2019: BJP's Arjun Singh alleges attack by Trinamool 'goondas' in Bengal's Barrackpore". hindustantimes.com. 6 May 2019. Archived from the original on 3 July 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  30. ^ "Arjun Singh: BJP candidate Arjun Singh allegedly attacked by TMC workers in Barrackpore". Economic Times. 6 May 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  31. ^ "भाजपा सांसद अर्जुन सिंह ने ममता बनर्जी को बताया प्रतिशोधी महिला". Dainik Jagran. Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  32. ^ "Supreme Court says violence common in Bengal, protects BJP's Arjun Singh from arrest". India Today. Archived from the original on 23 May 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  33. ^ "Supreme Court agrees to hear BJP candidate Arjun Singh's plea seeking protection from arrest". The Hindu. 22 May 2019 – via www.thehindu.com.
  34. ^ "Bombs hurled, shots fired outside residence of Barrackpore MP in North 24 Parganas". www.aninews.in. Archived from the original on 26 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  35. ^ "बंगाल में BJP सांसद अर्जुन सिंह के घर फेंके गए बम, भतीजे ने TMC पर लगाया आरोप". aajtak.intoday.in. 25 July 2019. Archived from the original on 25 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  36. ^ "Shots Fired Near BJP Lawmaker Arjun Singh's House in Bengal's Bhatpara". NDTV.com. Archived from the original on 26 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  37. ^ "Bengal BJP MP Arjun Singh sustains head injury during clash with TMC workers". Hindustan Times. 1 September 2019. Archived from the original on 9 September 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  38. ^ "West Bengal: BJP MP Arjun Singh accuses TMC for vandalising his vehicle, party office". www.aninews.in. Archived from the original on 1 September 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  39. ^ "TMC has been murdering democracy time and again in WB: JP Nadda". www.aninews.in. Archived from the original on 2 September 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  40. ^ "West Bengal BJP MP Arjun Singh's car attacked in North 24 Parganas". 5 July 2020.
  41. ^ "Bengal BJP MP Arjun Singh Alleges Attack By Trinamool Supporters, Party Denies Claim". NDTV.com.
  42. ^ "'No coercive steps against BJP leaders': SC notice to Bengal govt, police". Hindustan Times. 18 December 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  43. ^ "SC protection for BJP leaders facing criminal cases in Bengal". The Indian Express. 19 December 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
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