Paswan is probably the only Union Minister to have held crucial positions under six different prime ministers.
Many thought Ram Vilas Paswan's political career and his Lok Janshakti Party would come to an end after the 2009 general elections, when he couldn't secure his own Hajipur seat. It was the same constituency where he had once made an impressive debut, holding a Guinness World Record of winning with a margin of 4.24 lakh votes in the 1977 general elections.
In the 2005 Assembly Election, his party could have played king maker with 29 seats at hand, but he chose not to support either the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) or the Janata Dal (United), resulting into no government formation. In a re-election the same year, his party was reduced to 10 seats and in the 2009 general elections, it couldn't win a single seat, with party chief Paswan himself losing the contest.
But all this is in the past and Paswan is back in the game. He is one of those who has accurately anticipated situations and always knew who to stand with (discounting his failure in 2009).
Paswan was Railway Minister in the HD Deve Gowda led non-Congress non-BJP government in 1996; he was Minister of Communications and Information Technology in the AB Vajpayee-led NDA government in 1999 and then held the post of Minister for more than one portfolio in the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government, after he had parted ways with the BJP in 2002 on the grounds of the Gujarat riots.
Paswan is probably the only Union Minister to have held crucial positions under six different prime ministers – VP Singh, HD Deve Gowda, IK Gujaral, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi.
Currently, Paswan is the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution under Narendra Modi.
He comes from a Scheduled Caste background and is known as a dalit leader. His party has been allotted 40 seats in the upcoming elections.
Key Achievement:
Paswan has been successful in portraying himself as a leader of dalits. He founded the Dalit Sena, which is known for working towards the welfare of dalits in Bihar.
The portrait of Dr. BR Ambedkar in the Central Hall of the Parliament House is also a result of Paswan's insistence - a long-standing dalit demand that Paswan fulfilled in 1990.
It was Paswan's effort that convinced the government to extend reservation in employment for those who converted to Buddhism from Schedule Castes.
Key Failure
Unfortunately all the above achievements are glories of past and Paswan doesn't have much to show in the last one and a half decade. Even as he managed to be on the ruling side for almost his entire career, Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party could never attain the strength of an individual fighter and has always needed someone else's backing.
People like Surajbhan Singh, convicted in a murder case, was offered a ticket by LJP. After Singh was lodged in jail, his wife Veena Singh was brought in. She is currently an MP from Munger parliamentary constituency.
Then, Ranjit Singh alias Ranjit 'Don' is being fielded by the LJP in this election, and was offered a ticket in the past as well. He was the alleged kingpin in leaking question papers of examinations like CAT, IIM, AIIMS and CBSE medical entrance examinations in 2003. Don is also on the CBI's radar for his alleged involvement in the Vyapam scam.
Ram Vilas Paswan is also criticised and accused of nepotism in favour of his brother Pashupati Kumar Paras being the state chief and his son Chirag Paswan being the Parliamentary Chairperson of LJP. His brother Ram Chandra Paswan was given a ticket for Lok Sabha in the 2014 general election. Pashupati's son Prince Raj has also been brought in with an MLA ticket this election. Sarita Paswan, one more relative, is in the LJP's list for the upcoming assembly election.
His Political Journey
Beginning
- 1969: Elected in Bihar legislative assembly on Samyukta Socialist Party's ticket
- 1974: Joined Lok Dal and became its General Secretary
- 1975: Arrested during the emergency and remained in jail for the entire period.
As a Member of Parliament
- 1977: Elected an MP on Janata Party's ticket with a record victory
- Was chosen again in 1980, 1984, 1989, 1996, 1998, 2004 and 2014
As a Union Minister
- 1989: Minister of Labour and Welfare
- 1996: Minister of Railways
- 1999: Minister of Communications and Information Technology
- 2001: Minister of Mines
- 2004: Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers
- 2014: Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
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