It was former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who recognized Pranab Mukherjee’s potential, and helped him join her party, the Indian National Congress. Mukherjee became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1969. He was re-elected to the house in 1975, 1981, 1993 and 1999. He was appointed Union Deputy Minister of Industrial Development in Indira Gandhi’s cabinet in 1973.
Later, Mukherjee also held various cabinet posts, including the post of Finance Minister from 1982 to 1984. As Finance Minister, Mukherjee signed the letter appointing Manmohan Singh as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India who later became the Prime Minister of India.
Mukherjee served as External Affairs Minister for the first time from 1995 to 1996 in P. V. Narasimha Rao’s cabinet. Rao appointed Pranab Mukherjee as Deputy Chairman of the Indian Planning Commission in 1991.
Pranab Mukherjee also had the distinction of being the Minister for various high-profile Ministries including Defence, Finance, and External Affairs in the Manmohan Singh government too.
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