New Delhi(Kalinga Voice): Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan is no more. He passed away today at the age 0f 74. He was ailing for quite some time. It is tweeted his son Chirag Paswan on Thursday evening. He was 74.
A Dalit leader from Bihar, Ram Vilas Paswan had been serving as the Union Minister of Food and Public Distribution in the Narendra Modi-led NDA government. An eight-time Member of Parliament in Lok Sabha, Paswan went to jail during Indira Gandhi’s tenure when an emergency was imposed in the country. He began his political career as a member of the Samyukta Socialist Party and in 1969 became a member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly.
Sri Paswan was Cabinet Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. Paswan was also the president of the Lok Janshakti Party, eight-time Lok Sabha member and current Rajya Sabha MP. He started his political career as member of Samyukta Socialist Party and was elected to the Bihar Legislative Assembly in 1969. Later, Paswan joined Lok Dal upon its formation in 1974, and became its general secretary. He opposed the emergency, and was arrested during the period. He entered the Lok Sabha in 1977, as a Janata Party member from Hajipur constituency, was chosen again 1980, 1989, 1996 and 1998, 1999, 2004, and 2014.
In 2000, Paswan formed the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) as its president. Subsequently, in 2004, he joined the ruling United Progressive Alliance government and remained a Union Minister in Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers and Ministry of Steel. Paswan won the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, but lost the 2009 elections. After being a member of a Rajya Sabha member from 2010 to 2014, he was elected again to the 16th Lok Sabha in the 2014 Indian general election from Hajipur constituency.
