Many people mistakenly believe that Madan Lal Khurana was Delhi’s first Chief Minister. However, the first person to hold this position was….
Today, February 5, 2025, Delhi heads to the polls for the assembly elections.. On one side is Arvind Kejriwal, aiming for a fourth term as Chief Minister. On the other side, the BJP and Congress are determined to remove him from power. When people talk about Delhi’s Chief Ministers, names like Madan Lal Khurana, Sheila Dikshit, and Arvind Kejriwal often come to mind. However, there is another important leader in Delhi’s political history that many people don’t know about.
Who was Delhi’s First Chief Minister?
Many people mistakenly believe that Madan Lal Khurana was Delhi’s first Chief Minister. However, the first person to hold this position was Chaudhary Brahm Prakash Yadav, who became Delhi’s Chief Minister in 1952. He served from March 17, 1952, to February 12, 1955. At just 34 years old, he made history as the youngest CM of Delhi. His journey to the top was fascinating.
In this article, we will explore the life of Chaudhary Brahm Prakash, his contributions to Delhi’s politics, and why he was given the title “Sher-e-Dilli” (Lion of Delhi).
Delhi’s first chief minister was born in Kenya
Chaudhary Brahm Prakash Yadav’s ancestors were from Rewari, Haryana, but he was born in Nairobi, Kenya. At the age of 13, he moved to Delhi with his parents and settled in Shakurpur village. He completed his early education in Delhi and became actively involved in India’s freedom movement. Around 1940, he joined Mahatma Gandhi’s Quit India Movement, which led to multiple arrests. He continued fighting against British rule as a member of the Congress party.
Became Delhi’s first chief minister by chance
After India gained independence, Delhi held its first assembly elections in 1951, where the Congress party won a majority. The party initially chose senior leader Deshbandhu Gupta as Delhi’s first Chief Minister. However, fate had other plans—Gupta tragically passed away in an accident before taking the oath. Following this, India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, recommended Chaudhary Brahm Prakash for the role. With everyone’s agreement, he was appointed as Delhi’s first Chief Minister and served from 1952 to 1955.
Even after his tenure as CM, Brahm Prakash remained active in politics. He was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) four times. He first won from the Sadar Lok Sabha seat in 1957 and later contested successfully from Outer Delhi in 1962 and 1977. In 1977, when the Jan Sangh party won six out of Delhi’s seven seats, Brahm Prakash was the only Congress candidate to secure a victory. However, after the Emergency period, he left Congress and joined the Janata Party. In 1979, when the Janata Party split, he aligned with Chaudhary Charan Singh and later served as a Union Minister, handling portfolios like Food, Agriculture, Irrigation, and Cooperation.
A leader who lived simply
Chaudhary Brahm Prakash believed in simple living and high thinking. Even as Chief Minister, he preferred traveling by public buses instead of using official vehicles. Despite holding such a high position, he never built a house in Delhi. When people asked him why, he would smile and say, “The whole of Delhi is my home.” His humble nature and deep connection with the people earned him the title Sher-e-Delhi (Lion of Delhi).
The father of the cooperative movement
Chaudhary Brahm Prakash is often called the Father of the Cooperative Movement because he dedicated 40 years to its development. He played a key role in establishing the Delhi Kisan Multipurpose Cooperative Society, the Delhi Central Cooperative Wholesale Store, and the Delhi State Cooperative Union.
He passed away in 1993, but his contributions were honored in 2001 when the Indian postal department issued a commemorative stamp in his name. Additionally, an engineering college in Najafgarh, Delhi, has been named after him.
