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Dr. Digamber Singh
दिगम्बर सिंह
A man wearing a red turban
Singh in 2016
Chairman of the Twenty Point Programme
In office
3 May 2015 - 27 October 2017
Preceded byVasundhara Raje
Succeeded byChandrabhan (INC)
Cabinet Minister Panchayati Raj, Social Justice, Law and Agriculture, Government of Rajasthan
In office
8 August 2016 - 27 October 2017
Vice President of Bharatiya Janata Party, Rajasthan
In office
2013 - 2015
Cabinet Minister for Industries, Government of Rajasthan
In office
2008 - 2009
Succeeded byShanti Dhariwal, INC
Cabinet Minister for Health, Ayurveda and Family Welfare, Government of Rajasthan
In office
2003 - 2008
Succeeded byNarpat Singh Rajvi, BJP
Member of Legislative Assembly, Kumher
In office
1993 - 2013
Succeeded byVishvendra Singh, INC
ConstituencyDeeg-Kumher
President of Bharatiya Janata Party, Bharatpur
In office
1991 - 1994
Personal details
Born
Sinsinwar Digamber Singh

(1951-10-01)1 October 1951
Barkhera Faujdar, Bharatpur, Rajasthan
Died27 October 2017(2017-10-27) (aged 66)
Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Resting placeDr. Digamber Singh ‘Samadhi’, Bharatpur, Rajasthan
NationalityIndian
Political partyBharatiya Janata Party
SpouseAsha Singh[1]
Children2; Dr. Shilpi Singh (daughter) and Dr. Shailesh Digamber Singh (Son)
ParentRamkali Devi (Mother) Sinsinwar Jawahar Singh (Father)
Residence(s)‘Bharatpur House’, 354-55, Hanuman Nagar, Jaipur, Rajasthan
EducationSN Medical College
ProfessionGynaecologist
CabinetFirst Raje Ministry
CommitteesBusiness Advisory Committee, 1998 - 2003; as Chairman, 2003 - 2009.

Committee on Welfare of Women & Children, 2003 - 2008. Committee on Local Bodies and Panchayati Raj Institutions, 2008 - 2013.

Committee on Public Accounts, as Chairman, 2008 - 2013.
AwardsLohagarh Sapoot Award 2006

Digamber Singh (1 October 1951 - 27 October 2017)[2] was an Indian politician, who served as a Cabinet Minister in the Government of Rajasthan.[3] Singh spent over two decades as a Member of the Legislative Assembly,[4] representing the Kumher Assembly constituency, later renamed as Deeg-Kumher.[5][6] He held numerous imperative Cabinet portfolios in the Government of Rajasthan, including Minister of Health,[4][3] Ayurveda, Family Welfare and from 2009 onwards as the Minister of Industries.[7]

He was the Chairman of the Twenty Point Programme and held additional charges of the Ministries of Panchayati raj, Law, Agriculture and Social justice in the Government of Rajasthan.[8] A prominent Jat leader, Singh was considered the face of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Eastern Rajasthan.

Early life and education

Digamber Singh was born on 1 October 1951[9] to a Hindu Jat family[5] in the Bharatpur village of Barkhera Faujdar in Rajasthan. He was the second of six children. His father, Jawahar Singh, was a ‘Patwaari’ and his mother, Ramkali Devi, a home maker. His early education took place in Nagar, Rajasthan and secondary education in Jaipur. In 1973, he completed his MMBS from Dr. Sampurnanand Medical College in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.[2][4]

Shortly after obtaining a degree in surgery and medicine, Singh began experiencing symptoms of muscle weakness and regular fatigue, and was hospitalised in AIIMS for a stroke. He convalesced at a hospital in New Delhi for a little less than a year before continuing his treatment at home. It took approximately two years to make a full recovery.[10][page needed]

Medicine

Singh in Jodhpur, 2004

Singh joined the state government's Department of Medicine[4] as an obstetrician in 1977, initially in Nagar tehsil and later Kumher in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. In 1985, he left to open a private hospital, Shree Digamber Hospital, in Bharatpur. It is now known as the Shree Digamber Group of Hospitals. His years as an active medical practitioner are believed to have paved way for his political career. He resigned from the Department of Medicine in 1992 to pursue politics.[11]

Early Political career

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Singh joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in late 1980s and served as the party's Bharatpur president between 1994 and 1997. Although, he is said to have been hesitant from stepping into politics, he was convinced by party leaders as Om Prakash Mathur and Lalit Kishore Chaturvedi.[11] He was elected to the 10th Rajasthan National Assembly in 1993 from Kumher at the age of 43.[2] He stood for Lok Sabha in the 1996 general election but lost to Natwar Singh.[11] He was re-elected to the Rajasthan National Assembly in 1998 and, as an opposition leader, was critical of the state congress government's negligence towards development projects in eastern Rajasthan.

Minister of Health, Ayurveda & Family Welfare

In 2003, he won a seat in the assembly elections[12][11] from Kumher for the third consecutive time and was further appointed Minister of Health and Family Welfare in the Government of Rajasthan under Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.[4] During Singh's tenure, there were multiple government poverty relief schemes and programmes in Rajasthan, such as free testing for dengue to help control the disease.[13]

In 2007,[14] Singh introduced a programme to improve government health facilities and opened services centres at the panchayat level with the intention of making it more accessible to the poor.[15] In 2008, along with Norway’s Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg,[16] Singh launched the Rajasthan-Norway joint health programme, which aimed to eradicate polio and modernise existing facilities and infrastructure.

In 2016, during Rajendra Singh Rathore’s tenure as Health Minister, a major strike of resident doctors and staff was called-off after Singh brokered a deal between the government and the unions.[17]

In 2006, Dr. Digamber Singh, launched a state-wide mission to build stat-of-the-art medical research facilities in Rajasthan. Singh believed in strengthening the inventory capacity of the state medical staff by providing them research facilities and resources to undertake pioneering medical research.[18]

On 15 August 2006, Singh inaugurated the latest bypass surgery facilities, established by Bharat Vikas Parishad Hospital and Research Centre, in New Delhi, a subsidiary of the facilities in Kota, Rajasthan.[19]

Dr. Singh’s tenure as Health Minister is also recalled for its crackdown on illegal and criminal medical practises in the state. Singh would monthly review data on criminal cases being reported in hospitals and government medical facilities in the state. These review meetings would often include district-level officers as Collectors and SPs, who were immediately instructed to take action.[20]

Dr. Digamber Singh’s popularity among the party rank and files and among the people was surging rapidly in the years 2003 onwards. In 2007, the much contentious, Gurjar agitation in Rajasthan took place. The agitation almost paralysed government machinery in Eastern Rajasthan and propelled Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje to take drastic measures to ensure law and order prevailed. Amidst heightened tension, Chief Minister Raje assigned the responsibility to mediate with agitators to her cabinet colleague, Dr. Digamber Singh.[21]After various rounds of dialogues between the government and the agitators, over a period of nine months, the agitation was finally called off in September 2008. Following the development News 18 journalist Pratap Rao called Singh the "troubleshooting Minister" of the Government.[22]

Minister of Industries

Singh was appointed Rajasthan's Cabinet Minister for Industries in 2009.[2][4][23] Under his leadership, numerous multi-dynamic urban and residential projects were implemented within the state[24] and the FDI level rose by 9% as multiple special economic zones were introduced.[25][23] He aimed to bring in more foreign investment and lower the unemployment rate, especially of educated youth.

In 2008, Singh inaugurated the second edition of the Jewellers Association Show in Jaipur. The move aimed to spur the luxury metals industry in Rajasthan, the show incorporated both, the B2B and B2C networking. The show aimed to attract international investments in the development of Jaipur’s gem stones. Following the show, Singh invited the Jewellery Export Promotion Council (JEPC) to host a series of exhibitions in Rajasthan, and hone the industry in the state. Later in the same year, JEPC organised over 270 promotion events in Rajasthan, that played a vital role in the global establishment of the state’s capacity in the industry. The luxury metals and stones industry in the state grew by over 50% in the year 2008-09.

Singh addressing a press-conference after the Indo-Arab Investment Summit in New Delhi - April 2008.

On 30 January 2008, Singh laid the foundation stone for setting up an IT/ITES SEZ by Somani Worsted Limited and manufacturing facilities of Jaquar Limited and Orient Craft Limited in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan. The establishment of these projects were in sync with the vision of the “Resurgent Rajasthan Partnership Summit” and gave a boost to the rapid industrialization in the state. On the occasion, Singh announced, Rajasthan’s overall industrial development rate to have peaked at 7% per annum. The IT/ITES Special Economic Zone, developed by Somani Worsted Limited, in an area of 50 acres, was named as 'Silicon City'.The total investment of the project was approximately Rs 700 crore in the first phase. The Silicon City generated direct employment for about 50000 (fifty thousand) in the IT sector and approximately 200000 (two lakhs) indirect jobs in Rajasthan.

Soon after, giving further boost to the state’s industrialisation, Orient Craft Limited, one of the largest garment export houses in India, established its 'Flagship Integrated Apparel Manufacturing Campus' at Pathredi in Bhiwadi, targeting a business of Rs. 2000 crore by 2010. Singh was successful in leveraging Orient Craft’s partnerships with some of the most renowned fashion designers, brands and retailers like Gap Inc., Tommy Hilfiger (company), Dillard's, Ralph Lauren Corporation, Marks & Spencer, Marc Jacobs, to assess and initiate manufacturing in the state. The initial project with an investment of Rs. 100 crore in phase 1, employed 8000 workers. Upon completion, it was the first integrated apparel & textile manufacturing facility of its kind in India. The investments momentum of the year 2008 continued with India’s largest manufacturer and exporter of bath fittings, Jaqaur Limited, after prolonged negotiations with Singh, announced the setting up of a new, state-of-the-art plant in 12 acres at Chopanki for manufacturing concealed cisterns (a joint venture with a Monaco-based company), shower enclosures (a joint venture with a German company) and whirlpool systems (a joint venture with an Italian company). Singh would later invite all three subsidiary companies to establish manufacturing facilities through special production-linked incentives passed by the Government. The new manufacturing unit with an estimated investment of Rs 70 crore in the first phase provided employment to about 1000 people.[26]

On 29 August 2008, along with Infosys CEO & MD, Kris Gopalakrishnan, announced the inauguration of Infosys’s second Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) campus at Mahindra World City, the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Speaking on the occasion, Kris Gopalakrishnan, said, "Jaipur is becoming an exciting destination for the IT-ITES industry. The Honorable Industries Minister, Shri. Dr. Digamber Singh ji has proactively put in place progressive policies and has invested in infrastructure to ensure rapid growth. Our investment in the second campus firmly establishes Jaipur as a significant center for Infosys. We are extremely happy to be in Jaipur and acknowledge the support and encouragement of the state government." The new campus at the SEZ at Mahindra World City, Jaipur, spread over 42 acres with a total investment of Rs. 531 crore. In phase 1 of its construction, the company made an investment of Rs. 171 crore, creating a built-up area of 3,69,100 sq. ft and a seating capacity of 3,200. Months later, Dr. Digamber Singh launched Infosys’s “Project Genesis”, a collaborative program with the state’s universities to enhance skill-sets and students and make them industry ready. The program has worked with 229 lecturers in 110 colleges and imparted training to 3,250 students in industry-relevant skills including language, presentation, and analytical skills.

At Singh’s behest, the Indian government opened the Indian Institutes of Technology campuses in Rajasthan.[27][28] The Rajasthan Government, under Singh, initatied ‘FIESTA’ events at engineering institutions in a bid to engage rural talent and open collaborative opportunities abroad.[29]To further foster an industry-ready generation, Singh along with Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, then President of India, inaugurated the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Pilani, Rajasthan.

Member of Legislative Assembly (2008 - 2013)

Prior to the 2008 Rajasthan Assembly elections, delimitation of electoral constituencies took place and Bharatpur's parliamentary seat was reserved, while Singh's Kumher constituency was merged with Deeg to form the Deeg-Kumher Assembly constituency.[30][6] The BJP chose Singh as its candidate from Deeg-Kumher and the party's incumbent Member of Parliament, Vishvendra Singh, shifting loyalties, represented the Indian National Congress.[5] Digamber Singh won the seat by a margin of 3514 votes.[12][3]The 2008 election was the first instance, since independence, where the Royal Family of Bharatpur had to face a defeat. Dr. Singh’s victory ensured the continuity of his unchallenged stronghold over the Jats of India. In a press-conference, after his victory against Bharatpur’s royal scion, Singh said, “After defeating Vishvendra, I have put an end to two myths, one that Vishvendra is undefeatable, and the other that 13 (13 Civil Lines; his government residence) is an unlucky number”[7]Singh would serve as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) after the BJP was voted out of power.[31][32]

In 2009, a year after the state election, the state Bharatiya Janata Party was split into two camps, one that of former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, and the other of the party organisation or the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Singh backed Raje, unconditionally, and was announced as the nominee for the State President of the party from her camp.[33]However, a few days later, Singh backed down and instead garnered support for Raje[34] from more than 50 legislators, leading to central leadership under Rajnath Singh, deterring from its decision to deny Raje’s appointment.

Singh addressing a public rally in Laxmangarh, Rajasthan. July 3, 2013

Dr. Digamber Singh was the most vocal legislator of the opposition in the assembly. Soon into the Gehlot Government’s first year, tensions between the Gurjjar community and the government flared up, Singh, having played the role of mediator in the previous regime, sought to ease the situation through negotiations. After numerous rounds of talks between the community leaders and the government, in presence of Singh, the situation eased, and the government agreed to consider the community’s demand for reservation.[9]

The new government found a completely metamorphosed government health mechanism, set up by the previous regime under Dr. Digamber Singh. In what were called attempts to dismantle this mechanism, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took on the state’s private medical practitioners and held them responsible for extortion of the poor among other issues. Singh took no time to hit back and his office issued a statement, accusing the Chief Minister of proffering half-baked concepts, “Instead of accusing the entire fraternity, the Chief Minister should have taken action against cases of unfair practises at medical institutions that might have come to his knowledge”.[10]

In 2010, Singh reinvigorated the party rank and files to make successful, the opposition-sponsored “Bharat Bandh”. He emphasised on the need of strong booth level engagement in the Bandh. He further stressed that the people of the nation were reeling because of the mismanagement of the government on the economic front.[16]The opposition under Singh staged a protest in the assembly too, which took an unprecedented turn, with members engaging in unparliamentary discourse. In what he would call the spirit of the house and the people, Dr. Digamber Singh, prior to the conclusion of the day, walked onto the side government and shook their hands, before exiting the assembly.[35]

In the same year, the government introduced a highly contentious bill, seeking to initiate contractual purchase system and social auditing in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme (MGNREGA). The bill snowballed into a political tussle, after a group of Sarpanchs protested it outside the state assembly. Making full use of the opportunity, Singh struck a huge blow to the government, after he led a march of over 9,000 Sarpanchs and elected panchayat officials to the Statue Circle in Jaipur. The march led to a scuffle the police, further igniting the protestors. In the grim moment for his government, Chief Minister Gehlot ceded to Singh’s demand, and met a delegation of Sarpanchs at his residence. Assuring them the postponement of the bill’s introduction.[17]

In 2011, the town of Gopalgarh was struck by a series of violent incidents, propelled by communal tensions. Leading the opposition’s charge, Singh cornered the government on the issue, in the assembly. Soon after, a committee was made by the Bharatiya Janata Party to probe into the facts and realities of the incident. This committee of legislators was led by Dr. Digamber Singh. He would later issue a statement, based on the committee’s findings, accusing the government of disregarding precedents to the incidents and failing to maintain law and order in the region.[13]

In October 2012, Singh took on the national leadership of the Indian National Congress, accusing the United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi of sidelining the Jat community. Singh furthered his agenda by announcing public support for sacked Congress Minister, Mahipal Maderna, also a Jat. Singh accused the state and national leadership of the Congress to have intentionally targeted and wronged Maderna. After Maderna’s arrest, Singh even visited his father, and former Minister, Parasram Maderna, sparking political tattles.[14]

In March 2013, Singh once again turned the heat on Chief Minister Gehlot, accusing the latter of favouritism in the allotment of sandstone mines in Jodhpur. Singh demanded the formation of a committee to investigate the allegations. The demand was pushed hard against by the government, highlighting the matter in media circles.[15]

2013 Elections

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, campaigns in support of Dr. Digamber Singh in Bharatpur, Rajasthan.

Singh lost the 2013 elections but the BJP was voted back into power. The landslide victory of the party was shadowed by the surprising defeat of the stalwart. Vishvendra, the once defeated royal scion, had finally settled scores with his suave opponent, by trouncing him with a margin of 11,162 votes. Immediately after his defeat, Singh was appointed the State Vice President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, but the role did little to match the stature of four-time legislator.

2014 By-poll Election

In September 2014, he unsuccessfully contested the bypoll from Surajgarh in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan.[11][4][32][36]Despite the storming of government heavyweights and Singh’s relentless campaign, Surajgarh, meant to resurrect the fallen Singh, instead, pushed him down a cliff. The once all powerful Minister, had now lost two consecutive elections in a span of less than a year. Both being amidst an untameable frenzy for the Bharatiya Janata Party. A mere margin of 3,100 votes, from Surajgarh, had kept Singh away from the peak of his career. His consecutive defeats also chastened the newly formed government.[37]

Chairman of Twenty Point Programme

In 2015, Dr. Digamber Singh declined Chief Minister Raje’s request to be the BJP's nominee to the Rajya Sabha. Later that year, in a bid to bolster his influence the state Cabinet, Singh was appointed the Chairman of the Twenty Point Programme, a highly powerful government wing,[8][38][39][32] and was accorded a Cabinet Minister status, giving him responsibility of 20 government ministries. Singh’s appointment, despite two electoral jolts within a year, made clear his vitality to the government and the party. The opposition raised Singh’s appointment as an evidence of the lack of confidence of the government on its elected representatives. The opposition further termed Singh’s appointment as unconstitutional, as it surpassed the authority of elected members, serving as Cabinet Minister. The move was, however, strongly welcomed by the Jat Community across the nation. Intellectuals and policy makers too expressed confidence in Singh’s appointment, knowing his acumen and abilities, plus the two decade long experience in government functioning.[8][4]

As Chairman of Twenty Point Program, Singh possessed immense authority, next to only that of the Chief Minister. Soon after his appointment, MPs, MLAs, Ministers along with bureaucrats as Collectors and SPs would make daily appearances at Singh’s office at the Secretariat.

In February 2016, Singh passed on order, requiring local administrations to submit a list of prominent and influential individuals, who have made positive contributions to the society. In a presser later, Singh briefed on his intention to highlight and solidify the contributions of regional leaders, thinkers, activists and contributors to inspire the younger generation by creating awareness on their culture. Dr. Singh accorded high priority to martyrs, terming their sacrifice as supreme, over 400 statues of martyrs were erected across the state.[40]

On 25 September 2016, while addressing a massive rally on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the erstwhile ruler of Bharatpur State, Suraj Mal, Singh, the Chief Guest of the program, kicked-off a political storm by stating “Those seeking to inherit Suraj Mal’s name are also shaming his legacy”, in an apparent dig at his rival Vishvendra Singh. The meeting unanimously passed a resolution, affirming faith in Dr. Digamber Singh to do justice to Suraj Mal’s legacy and also crediting him for the establishment of the Bharatpur Museum and the installation of various statues of Suraj Mal across the ‘Sambhag’.[41]

Singh inspecting a government exhibition during a foundation laying ceremony of developmental projects in Bharatpur, Rajasthan.

During his official visit to Sikar, in November 2016, Singh approved the establishment of a medical college in the district, by the year 2018. The demand for a medical college had long been a priority issue for the region.[42]

On the occasion of the completion of the government’s three years, Dr. Digamber Singh, participated in a foundation laying ceremony in Bharatpur district. He announced the establishment of a medical college in the district by the year 2023. He further laid foundation of projects worth Rs 3000 crore, which included, Jaipur-Agra four-lane highway, establishment of ‘Sambhag Headquarters, establishment of the SIMCO wagon factory, extension of the state engineering college among others.

The scope of the immense authority, Singh possessed, as the Chairman of the Twenty Point Program, remained unexplored due to his debilitating health during the same time period. Throughout his tenure, Dr. Singh kept traveling abroad for his treatment and the obstruction posed by his illness was explicitly evident. However, rebuffing claims of failing health taking a toll over him, Dr. Digamber Singh on 5 May 2017 announced a target of 180 seats for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the upcoming 2018 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly election. An election he would not live to witness. Nevertheless, state party president, Ashok Parnami, and other senior ministers in the cabinet, boisterously embraced the target set by Dr. Singh and officially launched it as the party’s mission for the election.[43]

Additional Charge of the Ministries of Law, Social Justice, Panchayati Raj and Agriculture

On 9 August 2016, a gazette notification, by the Government of Rajasthan, proclaimed a council, responsible for the monitoring of major schemes, initiatives and projects under the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Law, Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.[8]The gazette notification further proclaimed, Dr. Digamber Singh, as the Chairman of the Council. Since Independence, for the first time an Indian Government had formed a council for the monitoring of the government’s ministers. The Ministers of the four Ministries in the council, including bigwigs, as Rajendra Singh Rathore, an intimate aide of Singh, Arun Chaturvedi, Hem Singh Bhadana and Surendra Goyal, would now only be able to take a decision, after the approval of the council or Singh.

During his tenure as an opposition leader, Singh often took shots at the National Advisory Council (2004 - 2014), of the United Progressive Alliance regime, responsible of advising the Prime Minister, and Chaired by then Congress President Sonia Gandhi. He termed the council’s existence, powers and the sway of Gandhi as extra-constitutional authority, which violated the integrity of the Constitution of India.

In 2016, when he himself chaired a similar council with similar authorities, the opposition was quick to strike, calling Singh’s proclamation unconstitutional. In the assembly, opposition legislators argued the democratic nature of the council, whose Chairman was not the member of the assembly, but his subordinates were. The opposition pegged it as a situation where the government lacked confidence on its Ministers, and therefore had to pave way for someone like Singh to take charge. Critics expressed their displeasure in public on people’s representatives being put in custody of Singh, who had just tasted two bitter electoral defeats in a span of 8 months.

A rebel Bharatiya Janata Party legislator, Ghanshyam Tiwari, even went on to call Singh as the “unannounced Deputy Chief Minister” of Rajasthan. While, leader of the opposition, termed him as a “Super Cabinet Minister”. In an interview to, Samachar, Singh called these terminologies tossed at him as “preposterous” and argued that democracy is a process of consultation and coordination, therefore, it was to bolster the government’s democratic spirits that the council had been informed. The four Ministers, who now had to report to Singh, also sung along similar lines, calling Singh’s vast administrative experience as an invaluable resource to boost government efficiency.

Singh’s deteriorating health, at the same time, did not help the government’s case. Soon after his appointment, Dr. Singh flew once to Portugal and France for treatment at an undisclosed facility. While in 2017, Singh made over 8-10 trips to Singapore for chemotherapy at Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

In his almost 14 month long tenure as Chairman of the Cabinet Council, prior to his demise, Singh’s health prevented his full-fledged engagements. Although, Ministers and Secretaries of the Department would often flock to his residence in Hanuman Nagar for official meetings.

Despite multiple challenges, as Chairman of the Cabinet Council, Singh was successful in expediting the process of government transfers and allocation of government tenders for major projects. This significantly increased the efficiencies of the departments, which had long struggled with tedious paperwork and choking bureaucratic practices. Singh is also credited for getting “digital access” to government healthcare and agricultural loan schemes to rural regions. Consequently, a record number of insurance holders and loan seekers emerged in the fiscal year 2017-18.

Singh demise in October 2017 was in-midst of tectonic developments being undertaken by the Cabinet Council. The government dissolved the Cabinet Council, thereafter.

Membership of Assembly and Portfolios Held in the Cabinet

Membership of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly
Assembly Tenure Constituency Party
10th 1993-1998 Kumher Bharatiya Janata Party
11th 1998-2003
12th 2003-2008
13th 2008-2013
Positions held in the Government of Rajasthan
S. No Rank Portfolio Tenure
1. Cabinet Minister Medical and Health, Medical Services (ESI). 2003-2008
2. Ayurveda & Indian Medical Methods. 2003-2008
3. Family Welfare 2003-2008
4. Industry 2008-2009
5. Twenty Point Programme 2015-2017
6. Rural Development & Panchayati raj (Additional Charge) 2016-2017
7. Social justice (Additional Charge) 2016-2017
8. Law (Additional Charge) 2016-2017
9. Agriculture (Additional Charge) 2016-2017

Illness

Supporters welcome Dr. Singh home after his surgery in the United States, June 2015

While campaigning in the 2015 Delhi Legislative Assembly election, Singh began complaining of back pain and shortly after was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.[44] He received initial treatment and underwent surgery at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, USA.[45] The surgery was declared successful by the Indian government but biographer Ramveer Singh Verma wrote that it was "partially successful" and that the doctors had been hesitant to operate the main tumour. After a month of treatment in New York, Singh returned and was received by thousands of supporters at the Indira Gandhi International Airport and the Jaipur International Airport.[45]

In July 2015, he received his first chemotherapy at Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur. A team of twelve doctors from various disciplines of medical science were constantly monitoring his health. A doctor himself, Digamber Singh, would spend hour deliberating with his doctors on multiple issues and treatment methods pertinent to his illness.

In the summer of 2015, Singh was introduced to Dr. H. Ramesh, a prominent surgeon, at the Lakeshore Hospital in Kochi, Kerala. Dr. Ramesh exuded confidence in his ability to undertake a surgery on Singh’s tumour and advised the same. Impressed by Dr. Ramesh’s confidence and eager to act upon his debilitating disease, Singh agreed for a surgery in October, the same year. This decision was heavily contested by Singh’s other doctors, who felt it was too risky to undergo another major surgery in a matter of months. Dr. Ramesh, in Singh’s biography, would confess that there were high fatal risks associated with the surgery but “Dr. Sahab wanted it”. Rajasthan Chief Minister, Vasundhara Raje, too was concerned by Singh’s decision and urged his to take more time. Raje even directed the state Health Minister, Rajendra Singh Rathore, to convince Singh to delay his plans for a second surgery. Rathore’s attempt went in futility.

In October 2015, Dr. Digamber Singh underwent a 12 hour surgery at the Lakeshore Hospital in Kochi. The surgery was performed by Dr. Ramesh and his team. Singh was kept on ventilator support for over 24 hours after his surgery. However, in the days to follow, he recovered well. Singh’s absence from the public eye for weeks had speculations roaring. He made his first public appearance, after the surgery, on a boat with his family in Kochi’s backwaters.

In the first week of November 2015, Singh returned to Jaipur and started holding regular public meetings at his residence by November end. In hindsight, doctors who opposed the second surgery, regard its daring to have yielded an equal prolonging to Singh’s life. Dr. Digamber Singh spent the year 2016 disease free.

Singh also underwent Radiotherapy at an undisclosed facility in Lisbon, Portugal. In 2016, as he took charge of additional ministries in the Rajasthan Government, the media reported significant improvisation in his well being. Dr. Digamber Singh was also appointed in-charge for the upcoming 2017 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election and campaigned for the party in the region. In early 2017, owing to health circumstances, Singh would discontinue his engagements in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

After spending a disease free 2016, Singh’s malignancy reoccurred in early 2017. Two major surgeries in 2015 had taken a toll over his health and the recovery in the following year was not enough to undergo a third surgery. Furthermore, the disease now seemed to have spread to other vital organs of the body.

In early 2017, Singh received chemotherapy at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore, traveling there for his treatment more than 40 times in six months. It was discontinued in September 2017 due to its worsening side effects. Though he largely refrained from public appearances, he attended a celebration in Bharatpur for his 66th birthday.[11] It was attended by over 300,000 people. Singh gave his last interview on 7 October with News 18 journalist Shripal Shekhawat and ten days later went to a Diwali celebration in Kumher, where he held his final press conference. He was rushed to the Eternal Heart Care Centre in Jaipur the next day[2][44] after complaining of chest pain[4] and was admitted for swine flu.[32] Though he initially appeared to be improving gradually, his health worsened on 26 October and he was put on life support system on the 27th of October.

Death

Dr. Digamber Singh died at 10:50 am on the 27th of October 2017. He was 66. A weakened immune system due to an almost three year long battle with Pancreatic cancer had been the ultimate cause of his demise. After being exposed to a lung infection during a political rally in Kumher on 17 October 2017[46], Singh was rushed to the Eternal Heart Care Centre in Jaipur, Rajasthan. He was undergoing treatment under Dr. RS. Khedar for the infection and swine flu, from which he recovered soon after.

The team of doctors, led by Dr. RS. Khedar, stated for the prolonged illness of pancreatic cancer to be the prime cause in the sudden downfall of Singh’s health.[12][47] The cause of his death was concluded to be multiple organ failure, due to cancer and.[32] The State Cabinet declared a state of mourning in Rajasthan and Singh was given full state honours[44] and a 21-gun salute at his funeral, which was attended by more than 300,000 people. He was cremated at the Shree Digamber College of Nursing in Bharatpur.[44]

The State Funeral of Dr. Digamber Singh, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, October 27, 2017.

After his death, the BJP struggled to maintain power. Party members increasingly began choosing between a more pro-Raje stance or a more pro-BJP leader stance. Separately, Singh's supporters began protesting for the Bharatpur Medical College to be renamed as the Dr. Digamber Singh Medical College or the DDS Medical College, Bharatpur. In 2018, a statue of Singh was erected at the Dr. Digamber Singh Nursing College in Bharatpur.[48]

Aftermath

Dr. Digamber Singh’s death, 14 months prior to the 2018 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly election, came as a big blow to the Bharatiya Janata Party. Singh, a mass leader, had a sway among the Jat Community and voters in Eastern Rajasthan, the void of which was evident in the assembly election the following year. In the 2018 election, the party won only 1 of the 19 assembly seats in Eastern Rajasthan, which was a major reason for its defeat.[49]

Singh’s absence has resurfaced through the surveys and polls conducted by multiple media organisations. Especially, in the districts of Bharatpur, Karauli, Alwar, Sawai Madhopur, Hindaun, Kota, Churu, Hanumangarh and Sri Ganganagar. In Jaipur too, where Singh’s developmental works are well regarded, the party faced significant loss.

Apart from his role and provisions as an elected representative and a powerful Minister, Singh was also well known for his take on social concerns. The Dr. Digamber Singh Pro Kabaddi Tournament, inaugurated in 2017, to proffer rural sports potential and provide rural athletes with international opportunities and financial assistance is one such example. The tournament’s teams comprise of the districts of the state of Rajasthan. Till 2021, over 33 players, who debuted in the tournament, have made to the Pro Kabaddi League. Eight of them made to the Indian Kabaddi Team (men's division). The tournament has dismembered funds, as rewards, worth over 24 crores ($ 2 million) till 2022.[50]

The Big Six

From 1993 onwards, Singh along with cabinet colleague and party leader Rajendra Singh Rathore had dominated the Bharatiya Janata Party, Rajasthan. Together with Rathore, Singh had fostered a coterie of leaders, including the late Sanwar Lal Jat, Subhash Maharia, late Dharam Pal Choudhary and Rohitash Sharma, who would present a united front on almost all issues. The transition of power from Bhairon Singh Shekhawat to Vasundhara Raje, was possible because of the collective support of these leaders. During the political crisis of 2008, when Raje was being sidelined by the party and other leaders, it was Singh, Rathore and their group that saved her leadership. Within a matter of hours, Singh flew to Delhi with a document, signed by 57 legislators, warning that in case Raje is removed, then their resignation was inevitable.[51]The party was then forced to deter from its decision.

Singh being greeted by Rathore and Maharia on his 64th birthday.

During the 2018 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly election, Raje and Rathore, struggled for their leadership positions, something that would have been comfortable for them had Singh been alive. After the party’s defeat in the 2018 election, Raje was once again sidelined by the central leadership, however, in Singh’s absence, making a comeback was a herculean task for her.

In the aftermath of Singh’s demise, relationship between Rathore and Raje have also soured. Rathore, now aspiring for the top job, faces many challenges, coming through which alone is proven tough for him. Maharia, who lost the election and was ignored by Raje, had to join the Congress and then the BJP again 3 years later. Ridiculing the once tall leader. Sharma, has stuck close by Raje, but has not been able to significantly help her in the tussle with the central leadership.

Dr. Digamber Singh’s amicability with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and senior leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, stood to benefit Raje, Rathore and the coterie of leaders behind them. Now with Singh gone, the Rajasthan heavyweights, are struggling to strike mutually respectful coordination with their leaders in Delhi.

Personal life

Singh married Asha Singh on 19 January 1976. They had two children, a daughter, Dr. Shilpi Singh (born 9 January 1979) and a son, Dr. Shailesh Digamber Singh (born 20 July 1980).[1] Singh’s son, Dr. Shailesh Digamber Singh, constested the 2018 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly election from Deeg-Kumher Assembly constituency in Bharatpur district. Shailesh lost by a margin of 8,120 votes against the Indian National Congress candidate. On 17 December 2019, he was appointed, President of Bharatiya Janata Party Bharatpur, a post held by his father in his early political career.

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