As Bihar heads into another high-stakes election, its political past reminds how unpredictable the state's power corridors have always been. More than five decades ago, Harihar Singh became chief minister in a moment of chaos and quit before even assigning portfolios to his cabinet.
By mid-1968, Bihar was reeling under political uncertainty. Bhola Paswan Shastri had resigned as chief minister on June 29, plunging the state into President's Rule for 242 days. For seven months, negotiations dragged on but no party could muster a majority.
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Fresh elections were finally held in February 1969 but the results only made things worse.
The Congress, once dominant, fell to 118 seats in a 318-member Assembly. The Samyukta Socialist Party (SSP) won 52, the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) 34, the Communist Party of India (CPI) 25, the Praja Socialist Party (PSP) 18, and Raja Kamakhya Narain Singh's Janata Party 14.
The outcome was one of the most fragmented mandates in Bihar's history.
The Search For A Leader
The Congress was deeply divided in Bihar. Factions had formed around KB Sahay, Mahesh Prasad Sinha, and Satyendra Narain Sinha, while OBC leader Ram Lakhan Singh Yadav, denied a ticket, added to the discontent. Many MLAs also backed former CM Binodanand Jha, who had floated the Loktantrik Congress Dal.
At the national level too, the Congress was on the verge of a split between the old guard, Congress (O) and Indira Gandhi's faction, Congress (R).
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In early 1969, Bihar's Congress leaders were desperate not to repeat the 1967 debacle, when they had lost power to a non-Congress coalition. They forged a coalition with the Shoshit Dal, Raja Kamakhya Narain Singh's Janata Party, the Swatantra Party, and a few independents. Leading this fragile alliance was Harihar Singh, a Rajput MLA from Buxar.
Who Was Harihar Singh?
Harihar Singh began his career with the Congress, winning from Dumraon in 1952. Denied a ticket in 1957, he contested as an independent and lost. He later joined the Swatantra Party and unsuccessfully contested from Rajauli in 1962. Between 1960 and 1966, he served as a Member of the Legislative Council. In 1967, he won Dumraon again as an independent and rejoined the Congress before the 1969 midterm polls.
A Bhojpuri poet and a close associate of BP Mandal, Singh also served as agriculture minister in Mandal's cabinet after helping bring down Mahamaya Prasad Sinha's government.
A Coalition
Harihar Singh was sworn in as Bihar's ninth chief minister on February 26, 1969, ending 242 days of President's Rule. His government began on shaky ground. A faction led by Daroga Prasad Rai opposed the coalition and objected to the inclusion of Raja Kamakhya Narain Singh of Ramgarh, who faced court strictures.
Due to the dispute, no ministers were sworn in with Singh. The first batch took oath on March 7, 1969, including Kamakhya Narain Singh and his brother. Rai boycotted the ceremony, accusing Singh of a “breach of faith.” The issue reached the Congress Working Committee, where senior leaders clashed over Kamakhya Narain Singh's inclusion. Under pressure, Kamakhya Narain Singh resigned on March 28, and his mother, Shashank Manjari Devi, replaced him in April. She was the only woman in the cabinet.
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Harihar Singh expanded his ministry to 33 members, drawing from the Congress, Janata, Jharkhand, Hul Jharkhand, and Shoshit Dal. The cabinet was dominated by upper castes but included backward, Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and Muslim members. Several ministers were sworn in but were never assigned portfolios before the administration collapsed.
The Collapse
Barely four months after taking office, Harihar Singh's coalition collapsed. On June 20, 1969, his government lost a key vote on the animal husbandry department's grants- defeated 164 to 143.
Many ministers defected or abstained, leaving Singh with no choice but to resign the same day. His cabinet was still incomplete, with several ministers yet to receive portfolios.
Days later, the Congress split nationally into Congress (O) and Congress (R), echoing the disarray in Bihar.
Harihar Singh died in March 1994. His political legacy continued through his sons, Amrendra Pratap Singh, a minister in Nitish Kumar's cabinet, and Mrigendra Pratap Singh, a former MLA and minister in Jharkhand.
