Editing Lal Bahadur Shastri (section)

==Political career (1947–1964)==
===State minister===
Following India's independence, Shastri was appointed Parliamentary Secretary in his home state, [[Uttar Pradesh]].{{Sfn|Rajeshwar Prasad|1991|p=23}} He became the Minister of Police and Transport under [[Govind Ballabh Pant]]'s Chief Ministership on 15 August 1947 following [[Rafi Ahmed Kidwai]]'s departure to become a minister at the centre. As the Transport Minister, he was the first to appoint women [[conductor (transportation)|conductors]]. As the minister in charge of the Police Department, he ordered that police use water jets, whose instructions was given by him, instead of [[Lathi charge|lathis]] to disperse unruly crowds.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freeindia.org/biographies/greatleaders/shastri/page15.htm|title=Lal Bahadur Shastri:The Responsibility of Freedom|work=Free India|access-date=13 March 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070119032747/http://www.freeindia.org/biographies/greatleaders/shastri/page15.htm|archive-date=19 January 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> His tenure as police minister (As Home Minister was called prior to 1950) saw successful curbing of communal riots in 1947, mass migration and resettlement of refugees.<ref>U.N. Gupta (2003). ''Indian Parliamentary Democracy''. Atlantic Publishers & Distributors. p. 121. {{ISBN|8126901934}}.</ref>

===Cabinet minister===
{{See also|Cabinet of India}}
[[File:Jawaharlal Nehru with Lal Bahadur Shastri and K. Kamaraj.jpg|thumb|Jawaharlal Nehru with Lal Bahadur Shastri and K. Kamaraj]]
In 1951, Shastri was made the General Secretary of the [[All India Congress Committee|All-India Congress Committee]] with Jawaharlal Nehru as the prime minister. He was directly responsible for the selection of candidates and the direction of publicity and electioneering activities. He played an important role in the landslide successes of the Congress Party in the Indian [[General Elections]] of 1952, 1957 and 1962. In 1952, he successfully contested UP Vidhansabha from Soraon North cum Phulpur West seat and won by getting over 69% of vote. He was believed to be retained as home minister of UP, but in a surprise move was called to Centre as minister by Nehru. Shastri was made [[Minister of Railways (India)|Minister of Railways]] and [[Minister of Transport (India)|Transport]] in [[First Cabinet of India 1952|First Cabinet]] of [[Republic of India]] on 13 May 1952.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri|url=https://www.inc.in/en/our-inspiration/shri-lal-bahadur-shastri|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025020854/https://www.inc.in/en/our-inspiration/shri-lal-bahadur-shastri|archive-date=2020-10-25|access-date=2020-12-07|website=Indian National Congress}}</ref>

In September 1956 he wanted to take political and moral responsibility for the [[1956 Mahbubnagar train accident]] and offered his resignation as the Minister of Railways to prime minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]], but he refused. After the [[1956 Ariyalur train accident]], a similar accident about 2.5 months later, Shastri again offered his resignation and was accepted this time.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.freeindia.org/biographies/greatleaders/shastri/page17.htm | work=Free India | title=NN: Lal Bahadur Shastri. "I Am Responsible" | access-date=13 March 2007 | archive-date=3 February 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203234111/http://www.freeindia.org/biographies/greatleaders/shastri/page17.htm | url-status=dead }}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theprint.in/pageturner/excerpt/lal-bahadur-shastri-sent-nehru-his-resignation-set-gold-standard-for-politicians/304341/|title=When Lal Bahadur Shastri sent Nehru his resignation & set a gold standard for politicians|date=12 October 2019|work=The Print|access-date=17 August 2023|archive-date=17 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230817075148/https://theprint.in/pageturner/excerpt/lal-bahadur-shastri-sent-nehru-his-resignation-set-gold-standard-for-politicians/304341/|url-status=live}}</ref> He resigned as Railway minister on 7 December 1956.<ref name=NIE>{{cite web|title=Six decades since Ariyalur train tragedy, residents ask for plaque|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2022/nov/23/six-decades-since-ariyalur-train-tragedyresidents-ask-for-plaque-2521160.html|work=[[The New Indian Express]]|author=P Thiruselvam|date=23 November 2022|access-date=17 August 2023|archive-date=12 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230812141932/https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2022/nov/23/six-decades-since-ariyalur-train-tragedyresidents-ask-for-plaque-2521160.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

He served as the [[Minister of Commerce and Industry (India)|Minister of Commerce and Industry]] in 1959 and [[Minister of Home Affairs (India)|Minister of Home Affairs]] in 1961.{{sfn|Rajeshwar Prasad|1991|p=11-12}} Shastri laid the foundation of [[New Mangalore Port|Mangalore Port]] in 1964 as a minister without a portfolio.{{sfn|Rajeshwar Prasad|1991|p=5}}