Quick Facts
Biography
Col. Manvendra Singh (born 1964) is an Indian politician. He is a member of the Indian National Congress. He joined Congress on 17 October 2018. He was the member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India from 2004-2009 representing the Barmer-Jaisalmer constituency of Rajasthan and was considered an upcoming leader for BJP.
Early life
Manvendra Singh was born on 19 May 1964 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan in a Rajput family. His father is Thakur Jaswant Singh, a former Finance Minister and Defence Minister of India, and mother is Smt. Sheetal Kanwar. Singh is married to Chitra Singh daughter of Bhainsrorgarh. They have two children. He is an alumnus of Mayo College and has an MA, having studied at Hampshire College, Amherst, Massachusetts and the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. He is a Colonel in Territorial Army (India). Before entering politics, he worked as a journalist at the Statesman and the Indian Express, with a specialization in defence and national security affairs. He fought for India in Kargil War.
Political Life
Though Singh entered politics in the late 90s. He lost his first Lok Sabha election in 1999 against Sona Ram of the Indian National Congress from Barmer-Jaisalmer constituency of Rajasthan. In 2004, he won the Lok Sabha election by 2,71,888 votes against Sona Ram from the same constituency. He represented Barmer-Jaisalmer constituency of Rajasthan in the 14th Lok Sabha, where he was a member of the Standing Committee on Defence. He had won from Shiv constituency as a candidate of Bharatiya Janata Party for Vidhan Sabha election, 2013 in Rajasthan. In 2014 he was suspended from BJP because of his campaign against BJP Lok Sabha candidate from his father's constituency. Just before 2018 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly elections he quit BJP to join Indian National Congress.
Career
He elected for 14th Lok Sabha from Barmer-Jaisalmer constituency of Rajasthan. In the government of Manmohan Singh, Singh was a member of the Standing Committee on Defence. He is a Member of Legislative Assembly (India) from Shiv constituency for Rajasthan Legislative Assembly.
Books
- Till Memory Serves: Victoria Cross Winners of India, 2007
- Campaign Diary: Chronicle of an Election Fought and Lost, 2013