Vinod6176 at 20:13, 7 February 2026

2026-02-07T20:13:01Z

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{{Short description|Indian politician}}
{{Other people}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Gurnam Singh Grewal
|image = Gurnam Singh ex-CM Punjab India.jpg
|caption =
|office = 6th [[Chief Ministers of Punjab (India)|Chief Minister of Punjab]]
|term_start = 8 March 1967
|term_end = 25 November 1967
|predecessor = [[Giani Gurmukh Singh Mussafir]]
|successor = [[Lachhman Singh Gill]]
|term_start1 = 17 February 1969
|term_end1 = 27 March 1970
|predecessor1 = [[President's rule]]
|successor1 = [[Parkash Singh Badal]]
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1899|02|25|df=yes}}
|birth_place = [[Narangwal]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]], [[British India]]
|death_date = {{Death date and age|1973|05|31|1899|02|25|df=yes}}
|death_place = [[Delhi]], [[India]]
|restingplace =
|restingplacecoordinates =
|birthname =
|nationality = Indian
|party = [[Shiromani Akali Dal]]
|otherparty =
|spouse =
|children =
|residence =
|profession = Politician
|Alma Mater =
|signature =
|signature_alt =
|footnotes =
| office3 = [[List of leaders of the opposition in the Punjab Legislative Assembly|Leader of opposition in Punjab assembly]]
| term_start3 = 11 March 1962
| term_end3 = 5 July 1966
| predecessor3 = [[Gopal Singh Khalsa]]
| successor3 = [[President rule]]
| term_start4 = 1 November 1966
| term_end4 = 8 March 1967
| predecessor4 = [[President rule]]
| successor4 = [[Gian Singh Rarewala]]
| term_start5 = 24 November 1967
| term_end5 = 23 August 1968
| predecessor5 = [[Gian Singh Rarewala]]
| successor5 = [[Harinder Singh (Punjab politician)|Harinder Singh]]
| website = https://www.gurnamsingh.org/
}}

'''Gurnam Singh''' (25 February 1899 – 31 May 1973) was an Indian politician and the 6th [[List of Chief Ministers of Punjab (India)|Chief Minister of Punjab]] from 8 March 1967 to 25 November 1967, and again between 17 February 1969 to 27 March 1970.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://punjabassembly.nic.in/members/showcm.asp |title=Archived copy |access-date=2006-12-21 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070213075808/http://punjabassembly.nic.in/members/showcm.asp |archive-date=2007-02-13 }}</ref> He was the first [[Shiromani Akali Dal]] Chief minister of Punjab.<ref>{{cite web|title=Akali CMs|url=http://www.shiromaniakalidal.org.in/akali-cms/|access-date=10 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140624073436/http://www.shiromaniakalidal.org.in/akali-cms/|archive-date=24 June 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> His ministry fell due to defection of [[Lachhman Singh Gill]], who became the next Chief Minister with the support of the [[Indian National Congress]]. He died in an air crash in Delhi on 31 May 1973.

==Early life==
Singh was born in [[Narangwal]], [[Ludhiana]] on 25 February 1899 in a Grewal [[Jat people|Jatt]] family.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Grewal|first1=Dr Dalvinder Singh|url=http://grewalbrotherhood.com/pdfs/english/Origin%20of%20Grewals.htm|title=ORIGIN OF GREWALS|access-date=10 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141122134401/http://grewalbrotherhood.com/pdfs/english/Origin%20of%20Grewals.htm|archive-date=22 November 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=While Badal shines, other ex-CMs' villages remain its poor cousins|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140121/main7.htm|access-date=10 June 2014|newspaper=The Tribune|date=21 January 2014}}</ref> He graduated from the [[Forman Christian College]], [[Lahore]].<ref name=tribune1>{{cite news|title=Gurnam Singh's birth anniversary to be celebrated|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/1999/99feb11/punjab.htm#7|access-date=10 June 2014|newspaper=The Tribune|date=11 February 1999}}</ref> He captained the [[field hockey|hockey]] team of [[University of the Punjab|Punjab University]].<ref name=tribune2>{{cite news|last1=Dhanoa|first1=S. S.|title=The multi-faceted personality of Gurnam Singh|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/1999/99feb27/saturday/head2.htm|access-date=10 June 2014|newspaper=The Tribune|date=27 February 1999}}</ref>

==Law career==
Singh practiced [[Law]] in [[Lyallpur]] (Present day [[Faisalabad]], [[Pakistan]]). Later he served as the president of the Bar Association, there. During the [[Partition of India#Punjab|partition of Punjab]], Singh moved to [[Punjab, India]]. He was made the judge of the PEPSU and Punjab High Courts in 1950. He retired from this post in 1959.<ref name=tribune1/><ref>{{cite web|title=Hon'ble Former Judges|url=http://highcourtchd.gov.in/?trs=former_judges|publisher=Punjab & Haryana High Court, Chandigarh|access-date=10 June 2014}}</ref>

==Political career==
In 1959, he joined [[Shiromani Akali Dal]]. In 1962, he became the member of [[Punjab Vidhan Sabha]] from Raikot. He defeated congress candidate [[Inder Mohan Singh]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Statistical Report on General Election, 1962 to the Legislative Assembly of Punjab|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1962/StatRep_Punjab_1962.pdf|publisher=Election Commission of India|access-date=10 June 2014}}</ref> Akali Dal president [[Sant Fateh Singh]] made Gurnam Singh the head of the legislative wing of the party. He served as the leader of opposition in [[Punjab Vidhan Sabha]] from 1962 to 1967. In 1967, he won from Qila Raipur constituency, which he defended in 1969 too.<ref>{{cite web|title=Statistical Report on General Election, 1967 to the Legislative Assembly of Punjab|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1967/Statistical%20Report%20Punjab%201967.pdf|publisher=ECI|access-date=10 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Statistical Report on General Election, 1969 to the Legislative Assembly of Punjab|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1969/Statistical%20Report%20Punjab%201969.pdf|publisher=ECI|access-date=10 June 2014}}</ref> In 1967 he became the first non-[[Indian National Congress|Congress]] [[List of Chief Ministers of Punjab (India)|Chief Minister of Punjab]] of Punjab. He led a coalition government of Akali Dal, [[Jana Sangh]] and communists. However, his government could not complete the full term. He again became chief minister in 1969. Later he served as [[High Commissioner]] of India in [[Canberra]], [[Australia]].<ref name=tribune2/><ref>{{cite news|title=A gentleman-politician|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010304/ldh1.htm|access-date=10 June 2014|newspaper=The Tribune|date=4 March 2001}}</ref>

==Death==
Singh died in an air crash in Delhi on 31 May 1973.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://megassembly.gov.in/proceedings/1973/23-07-1973.htm |title=Proceedings, Meghalaya Legislative Assembly |publisher=Megassembly.gov.in |access-date=2013-11-10}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Chief Ministers of Punjab (India)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Gurnam}}
[[Category:1899 births]]
[[Category:1973 deaths]]
[[Category:Chief ministers of Punjab, India| Singh, Gurnam]]
[[Category:Punjab, India MLAs 1967–1972]]
[[Category:People from Ludhiana district]]
[[Category:Punjab, India MLAs 1962–1967]]
[[Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in India]]
[[Category:Chief ministers from Shiromani Akali Dal]]
[[Category:Shiromani Akali Dal politicians]]
[[Category:High commissioners of India to Australia]]
[[Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1973]]
[[Category:Forman Christian College alumni]]

Gurnam Singh - Revision history

Vinod6176 at 20:13, 7 February 2026