Political Career
Upon his return to Trinidad, he entered politics and ran unsuccessfully for Parliament as a candidate for the Workers and Farmers Party in 1966.
His most prominent debut into local politics was as early as 1973, when he forayed into the politics of one of the most prominent unions of the day, the Trinidad Islandwide Cane Farmers' Association (TICFA). He faced antagonism from the then leader of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, Bhadase Sagan Maraj and the leader of the Union, Mr. Rampartapsingh, who had succeeded Mr. Maraj. These were the favourites of the then Prime Minister, Eric Williams, for he was concerned about the "left-wing radicalisation" of the union membership.
It was in this context that Basdeo Panday came to the fore. Basdeo Panday was able, through backdoor negotiations with the then union leader of TICFA, and then subsequently with the then Prime Minister, Eric Williams concerning the wages and salaries of sugarcane workers, to claim control over the union as the undisputed leader of TICFA. In May 1973, he became the President General of All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers' Trade Union. In 1975, he spent two weeks at the Golden Grove Prison for leading a march with trade unionists which was deemed illegal.
Basdeo Panday's ambitions did not stop there. Exploiting the fractural divisiveness that existed within the then opposition of the Democratic Labour Party, Panday formed an alliance with other union members, George Weekes and Raffique Shah. The three formed the United Labour Front and in 1981–1986, he was the Opposition Leader.
He co-founded the National Alliance (with A. N. R. Robinson Political leader of the Democratic Action Congress, Lloyd Best of the Tapia House Group, to fight the 1981 elections, and later co-founded the National Alliance for Reconstruction with Robinson and Karl Hudson-Phillips Political Leader of the Organisation for National Reconstruction. Following a convincing electoral victory in 1986 he was made Minister of External Affairs and International Trade. Panday acted as Prime Minister in 1987 while Robinson was out of the country. In 1988, Panday, along with Kelvin Ramnath, John Humphrey and Trevor Sudama were expelled from the party after a disagreement with Robinson. It was claimed by them at the time by them all that Robinson was high-handed and authoritarian concerning with dealing with them and decision.
He then founded the Club for Love, Unity and Brotherhood (CLUB 88) which became the United National Congress. In 1992 their candidates won more seats in that year's election than the then NAR. On such a basis, the members of what was to become the UNC, argued this in parliament to become the opposition members (newcomer Hulsie Bhaggan defeated political heavyweight Winston Dookeran for the Chaguanas seat), but the party only won 13 of 36 seats nationally. It improved this margin to 17 in the 1995 General Elections elections. It could not form the majority in parliament to form the Cabinet, so, with the support of the two seats held by Robinson and the NAR, Panday was appointed the country's first Indo-Trinidadian and the first Hindu Prime Minister. A.N.R. Robinson became the first Tobagonian to become president.
Under the leadership of Mr. Panday the UNC went on to win the 2000 election but internal strife in the party forced another election in 2001 which resulted in a tie between the UNC and the PNM. That December, President A.N.R. Robinson awarded the PNM the post of Government of Trinidad and Tobago.
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