Bihar boasts of one of the most fascinating political histories in India. As the state heads to Assembly polls later this month, The Indian Express brings a series of articles that tell the history of Bihar politics through the tenure of its 23 chief ministers. This article tells the story of Harihar Singh, Bihar’s ninth CM.

After Bhola Paswan Shastri’s resignation on June 29, 1968, Bihar remained under President’s Rule for more than seven months. During this time, intense negotiations unfolded among various parties but no one could muster the numbers in the Assembly to stake claim to power.

Ultimately, the Assembly was dissolved, paving the way for fresh polls in February 1969. In these elections, the Congress tally shrank further to only 118 seats, far away from the majority mark among

See Full Page