NEW DELHI, July 26: Astickler for rules and propriety, a quality which he so consistently demonstrated as Andhra Pradesh Governor, Krishan Kant, the United Front-Congress nominee for Vice-President, has had an illustrious career in public life.

A `Young Turk', Kant is a versatile personality with long association with radical politics and the Socialist movement. One of those Congressmen who was expelled from the Congress for opposing the Emergency during Indira Gandhi's tenure, he has been a relentless crusador against corruption in high places.

With former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar and Mohan Dharia, Kant had formed the celebrated group of `Young Turks', which pushed for radical socialist policies during the 1960s and 1970s.

Born on February 28, 1927, at Kot Mohammed Khan village in Amritsar district of Punjab, he actively participated in the ``Quit India'' movement when he was a student.

A 11-year stint in the Rajya Sabha from 1966, Kant subsequently was a member of the Lok Sabha till 1980. In the AICC session in Ahmedabad in 1971, he strongly advocated the linking of political parties with the people and their basic problems. It was with the same spirit that he espoused the causes of land reforms and the Naxalite movement but was against using violence.

Since 1971, he has been advocating radical electoral reforms to remodel the entire electoral process. He held prominent offices both in the Congress and Janata Party. He was a member of the AICC and secretary of the CPP and the executive committee for several years. He was a member of the national executive of the Janata Party from 1977 to 1988.

A founding general secretary of the PUCL,he was instrumental in the release of Naxalites after the formation of the Janata Govt in 1977.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.