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{{Short description|Indian politician, 1st Chief Minister of Bombay State (1888–1957)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Balasaheb Gangadhar Kher
| image = BG Kher 1989 stamp of India (cropped).jpg
| office = 1st [[List of Chief Ministers of Maharashtra|Chief Minister of Bombay State]]
| term_start = 15 August 1947
| term_end = 21 April 1952
| predecessor = ''Office Established'' <br/> (Himself as Prime Minister)
| successor = [[Morarji Desai]]
| office1 = 2nd [[List of Chief Ministers of Maharashtra|Prime Minister of Bombay State]]
| term_start1 = 30 March 1946
| term_end1 = 15 August 1947
| predecessor1 = Governor's Rule
| successor1 = ''Office Abolished'' <br/> (Himself as Chief Minister)
| term_start2 = 19 July 1937
| term_end2 = 2 November 1939
| predecessor2 = [[Dhanjishah Cooper]]
| successor2 = Governor's Rule
| birth_date = 24 August 1888
| birth_place = [[Ratnagiri]], [[Bombay Presidency]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1957|3|8|1888|8|24|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Pune]], [[Bombay State]], [[India]]
| party = [[Indian National Congress]]
| alma_mater = [[Wilson College, Mumbai|Wilson College]]
| profession = Lawyer, Politician, Social worker, Solicitor
}}
'''Balasaheb Gangadhar Kher''' (24 August 1888 – 8 March 1957<ref name=news1>{{cite news |url= http://www.hindu.com/2007/03/09/stories/2007030900300901.htm |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120302200113/http://www.hindu.com/2007/03/09/stories/2007030900300901.htm |url-status= dead |archive-date= 2 March 2012 |title= This Day That Age|date=9 March 2007|work= [[The Hindu]] |location=Chennai, India}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indianautographs.com/productdetail-118153.html |title=Indian autographers – Bal Gangadhar Kher |publisher=Indianautographs.com |access-date=5 September 2012}}</ref>) was an Indian politician who served as the prime minister of Bombay (1937–1939, 1946–1947) and the first chief minister (then called Premier<ref>{{Cite book|title=India's Struggle for Independence |author=Bipan Chandra|publisher=Penguin Global |year=1989|isbn=978-0140107814|page=332}}</ref>) of [[Bombay State]] (1947–1952). He was awarded the [[Padma Vibhushan]] by the [[Government of India]] in 1954. A lawyer, solicitor and social worker by choice and politician by necessity, Kher was often described as "Sajjan", good and gentle. Kher was a scholar, an accomplished orator, and a man with no pretensions.

==Early life==
Balasaheb Gangadhar Kher was born on 24 August 1888 at [[Ratnagiri]] in a [[Marathi people|Maharashtrian family]]<ref name="google1">{{cite book|author1=Vasant Moon|author2=Eleanor Zelliot|title=Growing Up Untouchable in India: A Dalit Autobiography|url=https://archive.org/details/growingupuntouch00vasa|url-access=registration|year=2001|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-0-7425-0881-1|pages=[https://archive.org/details/growingupuntouch00vasa/page/87 87]–}}</ref>. He spent some years of his boyhood at [[Kundgol]] in the then [[Jamkhandi State]]. Later, he migrated at the instance of [[Gopal Krishna Gokhale]] to [[Pune]] to study at the New English School. Later he received a [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] degree with high distinction from [[Wilson College, Mumbai|Wilson College]] (Mumbai) in 1908, where he was also awarded the [[Bhau Daji Lad]] prize for standing first in Sanskrit.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indianpost.com/viewstamp.php/Alpha/B/B.G.KHER|title=B.G. Kher|publisher=Indian Post website}}</ref>

Kher along with Manilal Nanavati started a firm called Manilal Kher & Co. The firm commenced practice on 7 June 1918. The firm was the only firm in Mumbai to have its inauguration ceremony being presided over by the renowned judge [[Frank Beaman|Sir Frank Beaman]]. The firm's name was then changed to Manilal Kher Ambalal & Co.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mkaco.com/about-us/history/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503054140/http://www.mkaco.com/about-us/history/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-05-03|title=Manilal Kher Ambalal & Co. – Advocates, Solicitors and Notary – About us – History |publisher=Mkaco.com }}</ref>

==Political career==
Kher's political career began in 1922. He was appointed as the Secretary of the [[Bombay]] branch of the [[Swaraj Party]].<ref name="news1"/> During the [[Civil disobedience movement]], he was arrested and sentenced to eight months' rigorous imprisonment and fine in 1930. He was again arrested in 1932 and sentenced to two years rigorous imprisonment and fine.

He became the second Prime Minister of the [[Bombay Province]] succeeding [[Dhanjishah Cooper]] in 1937 and continued in office until November 1939. He was arrested and imprisoned in 1940. During the [[Quit India]] struggle, he was arrested again and imprisoned in August 1942. He was released from prison on 14 July 1944.

He again became the Prime Minister of the Bombay province on 30 March 1946. He was instrumental in the establishment of Poona University (Now called the "[[Savitribai Phule Pune University]]"). A building in the university campus is named after him as "Kher Bhavan." Little Gibbs Road in Malabar Hill area of Mumbai was designated as B.G. Kher Marg in 1976. Kher was in office until 21 April 1952.

Kher was recuperating from an [[asthma]] attack at a private nursing home in [[Pune]] before he died on 8 March 1957.<ref>{{cite news|title=B.G. Kher Passes Away in Poona|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19570309&printsec=frontpage&hl=en|access-date=9 February 2018|work=The Indian Express|date=9 March 1957|page=5}}</ref>

== Reception==
Kher allotted plots of land in Bandra East to people belonging to the Hindu-Khatik (Scheduled caste) community in 1950–51. That area is known as Kherwadi in his memory. Kher established schools and a hospital, and provided electricity and water supply for people staying in Kherwadi. The Hindu-Khatik community celebrates his birthday at his statue at the Nanda Deep Garden, Kala Nagar, Bandra East.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}}

Declassified MI5 documents were appreciative of Kher and described him as preferable to other political candidates, due to his honesty, sincerity and a preference for the "Anglo" way of administration.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Krishna-Menon-a-sick-man-say-MI5-documents/articleshow/1716301.cms |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517110647/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2007-03-03/rest-of-world/27888109_1_krishna-menon-indian-high-commissioner-documents |url-status=live |archive-date=17 May 2013 |title=Krishna Menon a sick man, say MI5 documents|author=Rashmee Roshan Lall |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=3 March 2007 }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Kamath, M.V. ''B.G. Kher, The Gentleman Premier'', Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{succession box|
before=[[Dhanjishah Cooper]]|
title=Prime Minister of [[Bombay Province]]|
years=19 July 1937 – 2 November 1939|
after=Governor's rule
}}
{{succession box|
before=Governor's rule|
title=Prime Minister of [[Bombay Province]]|
years=30 March 1946 – 26 January 1950|
after=Post abolished
}}
{{succession box|
before=Post created|
title=Chief Minister of [[Bombay State]]|
years=26 January 1950 – 21 April 1952|
after=[[Morarji Desai]]
}}
{{s-dip}}
{{s-bef|before=[[V. K. Krishna Menon]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of High Commissioners of India to the United Kingdom|High Commissioner for India]]|years=1952 - 1954}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Padma Vibhushan Awards}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kher, Balasaheb Gangadhar}}
[[Category:University of Mumbai alumni]]
[[Category:1888 births]]
[[Category:1957 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian independence activists from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in public affairs]]
[[Category:Chief ministers of Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Marathi politicians]]
[[Category:People from Ratnagiri]]
[[Category:History of Mumbai (1947–present)]]
[[Category:Prisoners and detainees of British India]]
[[Category:Rajya Sabha members from Maharashtra|Kher B G]]
[[Category:Politicians from Bombay State]]
[[Category:Chief ministers from Indian National Congress]]
[[Category:High commissioners of India to the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:People from Jamakhandi]]
[[Category:Bombay State MLAs 1952–1957]]
[[Category:Swaraj Party politicians]]

B. G. Kher - Revision history

SaraWong at 04:50, 3 February 2026