Parasram Maderna

Parasram Maderna (23 July 1926 – 16 February 2014) was an Indian politician who was a nine-time Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in Rajasthan between 1957 and 2003. He was the Speaker of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly from 1999 to 2004 and a three-time Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly. A senior Jat leader, he served as a Cabinet Minister in the Rajasthan government for several portfolios. He also served as the President of the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee from 1989 to 1994. He was an MLA from the Bhopalgarh constituency six times, which included four consecutive terms from 1967 to 1985. He also served as MLA twice from the Osian constituency and once from the Gudamalani constituency.

Early and personal life
Maderna was born on 23 July 1926 in Chadi village of the present-day Jodhpur district of Rajasthan. He received his Bachelor of Laws and post-graduation degrees from the University of Lucknow.

Maderna married Chhoti Devi. They had two daughters and two sons, including the politician Mahipal Maderna. His granddaughter Divya Maderna is also a politician.

Freedom struggle
During his postgraduate studies, Maderna actively engaged in Indian independence movement after taking inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi. Upon his return to Rajasthan, he aligned himself with Baldev Ram Mirdha, a prominent Jat leader, to initiate a large-scale agrarian movement through the Marwar Kisan Sabha and later the Rajasthan Kisan Sabha. This collaborative effort resulted in the abolition of Jagirs in the former Marwar and Mewar estates, empowering cultivating farmers to become owners of their land.

Political career
Maderna's political career started after India's independence when the Kisan Sabha got merged with the Indian National Congress. Although his first election in 1952 from the Osian Assembly constituency ended in defeat, his public service journey officially commenced in 1953 when he was elected as the Sarpanch of his native village, Chadi.

After losing his first election from the Osian Assembly constituency, Maderna again contested from that constituency, securing back-to-back victories in 1957 and 1962. Bhopalgarh Assembly constituency was created in 1967 and Maderna represented that constituency as an MLA from 1967 to 1985 after winning four successive elections from there. However, he faced a setback in the 1985 election, where he was defeated by Narayan Ram Bera. Maderna made a comeback by winning the next three elections, once from the Gudamalani Constituency in 1993 and twice from the Bhopalgarh constituency in 1990 and 1998.

In 1966, the Government of Rajasthan entrusted Maderna with key ministerial responsibilities, assigning him a diverse portfolio that included General Administration, Panchayat Raj, Agriculture, Revenue, Animal Husbandry, Cooperative, Flood, Forest, Famine, Community Development, Sheep & Wool, Colonization, Local Bodies, and Rehabilitation. He served in this role until 1977. Later, from 1981 to 1985, he was once again appointed as a Cabinet Minister, overseeing portfolios such as Revenue, Irrigation, Land Reforms, Flood & Famine, Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), and Energy.

In the 1998 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly election, Congress secured a clear majority by winning 153 out of 200 seats. Maderna was the leader of the opposition at that time and Ashok Gehlot was the chief of the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee. Gehlot did not contest in that election and Maderna won his seat from the Bhopalgarh constituency. An All India Congress Committee (AICC) was constituted in November 1998 to decide the Chief minister of Congress. It was headed by Ghulam Nabi Azad, Madhavrao Scindia, Mohsina Kidwai, and R. L. Bhatia. They organized a meeting with all of the elected Congress legislators at the state party headquarters. It was agreed in the meeting that the Congress president Sonia Gandhi would decide the CM. She selected Ashok Gehlot for the CM post. In January 1999, Maderna was elected Speaker of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly unanimously.

His political career also included several notable leadership roles within the Indian National Congress party. He was president of the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee from 1989 to 1994. Additionally, he held the role of Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly on multiple occasions. He took on this role for the first time from 1977 to 1978, and again from February 1979 to August 1979. His last stint as the Leader of the Opposition started in 1993 and continued until 1998 when his party came into power after winning the 1998 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly election.

Maderna's political career concluded with his tenure as the Speaker of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, where he presided from 1999 to 2004.

Furthermore, Maderna's influence extended beyond his elected positions, as he held key roles in various constitutional bodies. He served as a member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Estimates Committee. Additionally, he was Chairman of the Central Cooperative Bank, the Committee on Subordinate Legislation, the Public Accounts Committee, and the Public Undertakings Committee.

Death
Maderna died on 16 February 2014, at the age of 87, due to respiratory failure. He was admitted to SMS Hospital after complaining of breathing problems and swelling in his legs and stomach. He was suffering from osteoarthritis, septicemia, and diabetes. Multiple dignitaries, including the then Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, Gujarat Governor Kamla Beniwal, Union Minister Lal Chand Kataria, and AICC's general secretary C. P. Joshi, paid homage to him once his body was brought to his residence. He was cremated by his son Mahipal Maderna the next day in his native village Chadi, Jodhpur. Other than MLAs and MPs, his funeral was attended by the then chief minister of Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, and the then Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Speaker Kailash Chandra Meghwal.