Motilal Vora

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-suffix = MP

| image = Motilal Vora.jpg

| caption = Motilal Vora in 1989

| birth_date = {{birth date|1928|12|20|df=y}}

| birth_place = Nimbi Jodhan, Jodhpur State, British India (present-day Nagaur District, Rajasthan, India)

| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|12|21|1928|12|20|df=y}}{{Cite web|date=December 21, 2020|title=Veteran Congress leader Motilal Vora passes away at 93|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/veteran-congress-leader-motilal-vora-passes-away/articleshow/79838575.cms|access-date=2020-12-21|website=The Times of India|language=en}}

| death_place = New Delhi, India

| death_cause = COVID infection

| nationality = Indian

| spouse = Shanti Devi Vora

| children = Four daughters, two sons, including Arun

| residence = Mohan Nagar, Durg, Chhattisgarh

| occupation = Politics

| profession = Journalist, politician and social worker

| footnotes = [https://web.archive.org/web/20151222081615/https://archive.india.gov.in/govt/rajyasabhampbiodata.php?mpcode=844 Rajya Sabha profile]

| office = Governor of Uttar Pradesh

| term_start = 26 May 1993

| term_end = 3 May 1996

| president = Shankar Dayal Sharma

| predecessor = B. Satya Narayan Reddy

| successor = Mohammad Shafi Qureshi

| office2 = Minister of Health and Family Welfare

| term_start2 = 14 February 1988

| term_end2 = 24 January 1989

| primeminister2 = Rajiv Gandhi

| predecessor2 = Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao

| successor2 = Ram Niwas Mirdha

| office3 = Minister of Civil Aviation

| term_start3 = 14 February 1988

| term_end3 = 25 June 1988

| primeminister3 = Rajiv Gandhi

| predecessor3 = Jagdish Tytler

| successor3 = Shivraj Patil

| office4 = 13th Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh

| term_start4 = 25 January 1989

| term_end4 = 8 December 1989

| predecessor4 = Arjun Singh

| successor4 = Shyama Charan Shukla

| term_start5 = 13 March 1985{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/GazetteOfMadhyaPradeshExtraordinary13March1985No.82|title=M.P. chief minister sworn in with Ram Kishore Shukla and others|publisher=Government Of Madhya Pradesh, India|date=13 March 1985|access-date=26 February 2014}}

| term_end5 = 13 February 1988{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/GazetteOfMadhyaPradeshExtraordinary14February1988No.57|title=M.P. chief minister resigns with Ram Kishore Shukla and other ministers|publisher=Government Of Madhya Pradesh, India|date=14 February 1988|access-date=26 February 2014}}

| predecessor5 = Arjun Singh

| successor5 = Arjun Singh

| office6 = Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha

| constituency6 = Chhattisgarh

| term_start6 = 10 April 2002

| term_end6 = 9 April 2020

| successor6 = Phulo Devi Netam

| constituency7 = Madhya Pradesh

| term_start7 = 3 April 1988

| term_end7 = 8 March 1989

| office8 = Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha

| constituency8 = Rajnandgaon

| term_start8 = {{Start date|1998||}}

| term_end8 = {{End date|1999||}}

| predecessor8 = Ashok Sharma

| successor8 = Raman Singh

| office9 = Member of Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly

| constituency9 = Durg

| termstart9 = {{Start date|1972||}}

| termend9 = {{End date|1988||}}

| predecessor9 = R Jha

| successor9 = Himself

| constituency10 = Durg

| termstart10 = {{Start date|1989||}}

| termend10 = {{End date|1992||}}

| predecessor10 = Himself

| successor10 = Arun Vora

}}

Motilal Vora (20 December 1928 – 21 December 2020) was an Indian politician belonging to the Indian National Congress (INC).

He served as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh (1985–1988; 1989). He was born in Nimbi Jodha, Jodhpur State, British India. He was also Governor of Uttar Pradesh from 1993 to 1996.

Early life

Vora was born on 20 December 1928 at Nimbi Jodha in Jodhpur State of British India's Rajputana Agency (present-day Nagaur district, Rajasthan) to a Pushkarna Brahmin family. His parents were Mohanlal Vora and Amba Bai. His forefathers came from Nimbi Jodha, and prior to that from Phalodi. He received his education at Raipur and Kolkata. He had also worked with several newspapers for many years. He married Shanti Devi Vora. The couple have four daughters and two sons. His son Arun Vora is an MLA from Durg (CG), having won three elections as MLA. His brother Govindlal Vora was Veteran Journalist and Chief Editor of Amrit Sandesh.{{Cite news|agency=Press Trust of India|date=2018-05-14|title=Veteran Chhattisgarh journalist Govind Lal Vora dies|work=Business Standard India|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/veteran-chhattisgarh-journalist-govind-lal-vora-dies-118051401315_1.html|access-date=2020-12-19}} His nephew Rajeev Vora is Secretary of Pragati College of Engineering and Management, Raipur.{{Cite web|title=Pragati College|url=https://www.pragaticollege.com/page.php?ctype=spage&cid=management|access-date=2020-12-01|website=www.pragaticollege.com}}{{cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/congress-veteran-moti-lal-vohra-passes-away/story-EUHQ7Z5qS7yQedvrR5cEHP.html|title=Veteran Congress leader Motilal Vora passes away at new Delhi|date=21 December 2020|website=Hindustan Times}}

State politics

In 1968, Vora, then, a member of Samajwadi party, became a member of the Municipal Committee of Durg (then part of Madhya Pradesh). In 1970 (approximately), he, with the help of Prabhat Tiwari, was introduced to Pt. Kishorilal Shukla of INC and joined INC. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) of Madhya Pradesh in 1972 on an INC ticket. He was elected to Vidhan Sabha again in 1977 and 1980. He was appointed a minister of State in Arjun Singh's Cabinet, and was in-charge of the Higher Education Department. He was elevated to the Cabinet Minister in 1983. He also served as the Deputy Chairman of Madhya Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation during 1981–84.

On 13 March 1985, Vora was appointed Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. He resigned from the post of Chief Minister on 13 February 1988, to join the Union Government.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}}

National politics

On 14 February 1988, Vora became a member of the Rajya Sabha, and assumed the office of Union Minister of Health, Family Welfare and Civil Aviation. He was a cabinet minister in Government of India. He was appointed Governor of Uttar Pradesh on 16 May 1993 and held office until 3 May 1996. Motilal Vora was in 1998–99 Member of the 12th Lok Sabha.

Role in the Indian National Congress

Vora was very close to High Command of INC, and has supported nomination of Rahul Gandhi as the party's Prime Ministerial candidate. In the 1980s, he served as the President of the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee, the party's state unit.

Vora held important positions in all the three entities involved in the National Herald Case: the Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the Young Indian and the All India Congress Committee (AICC). He became the chairman and managing director of AJL on 22 March 2002. He served as the AICC treasurer before that. He was a 12% shareholder and a Director of Young Indian.{{cite news |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/explained/deals-at-national-herald-who-got-what-when-how-2/ |title=Deals at National Herald: Who got what, when, how |date=10 December 2015 |author=Sandeep Singh |newspaper=Indian Express }}

Death

Vora died from complications from COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in India, one day after his 92nd birthday.[https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/india/story/congress-veteran-motilal-vora-dies-at-93-1751662-2020-12-21 Congress veteran Motilal Vora dies at 93 of post-Covid complications]