Latest news with #RamVilasPaswan


The Hindu
05-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
My father Ram Vilas Paswan was a powerful voice of the poor, says Chirag Paswan on birth anniversary
Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan on Saturday (July 5, 2025) remembered his late father Ram Vilas Paswan on his birth anniversary as a man who was the powerful voice of the poor and deprived people. The party workers paid floral tributes and recalled Ram Vilas Paswan as a leader who struggled an entire lifetime for the creation of an egalitarian society. 'Today is the birthday of my revered father, Ram Vilas Paswanji. This day has been like a festival for us, and today is also Sankalp Diwas (day of resolve) for every leader and worker of the party to work towards social justice, making Bihar a developed State, and integrating the deprived sections of society into the mainstream, bringing his ideas to reality,' Mr. Chirag said. The main function was organised in Hajipur, the Lok Sabha seat which Ram Vilas won eight times. At present, this seat is represented by his son Chirag who garlanded a life-size statue installed near the Hajipur Circuit House. Several political leaders and Union Ministers remembered Ram Vilas on his birth anniversary, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Bihar BJP State president Dilip Jaiswal, Janata Dal (United) leader and MP Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Republican Party of India (Athawale) president Ramdas Athawale and others. Community kitchen Mr. Chirag also participated in a community kitchen organised by the party distributing food to the needy. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai also paid tribute by garlanding the statue. 'When he was alive, I never thought that I would face this day when he will not be around. Being his son, pictures from those days just come to my mind when we used to celebrate his birthday every year and the time I used to spend with him. I am trying my best to follow in his footsteps,' Mr. Chirag said. He also pointed out that Bihar International Trade Organisation (BITO), which he started in 2023 is a platform that provides an opportunity to the people of Bihar living abroad to do something for their State. 'Through BITO, we provide a platform for the people of Bihar residing overseas. Today, for the first time, I formally dedicate BITO to Bihar,' Mr. Chirag said. Mr. Chirag's uncle and former Union Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras, who heads the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP), celebrated the occasion in Patna at his party office. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav also attended the function.


India Gazette
05-07-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"His entire life was dedicated to social justice": PM Modi pays tribute to Ram Vilas Paswan on his birth anniversary
New Delhi [India], July 5 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to former Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on his birth anniversary on Saturday, lauding his lifelong dedication to social justice. In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, 'Humble tributes to former Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan ji on his birth anniversary. His entire life was dedicated to social justice. His struggle for the rights of Dalits, backward classes, and the deprived can never be forgotten.' Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Chirag Paswan, speaking to the media, described his father's birth anniversary as a 'festival' for the party. 'Today is the birthday of my revered father, Shri Ramvilas Paswan Ji. This day is also a day of resolve for every leader and worker of the party to work towards social justice, making Bihar a developed state, and integrating the deprived sections of society into the mainstream, bringing his ideas to reality,' he said. He added that the LJP would commemorate the occasion in Hajipur, as done annually. In his X post, Chirag stated, 'Papa Ji! Our family is always incomplete without you' Ram Vilas Paswan, the founder and former LJP Chief, was a nine-time Lok Sabha member and a two-time Rajya Sabha MP. He was also awarded the Padma Bhushan posthumously. Ram Vilas Paswan passed away on October 8, 2020, from a heart ailment. Ram Vilas Paswan was the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution in the Narendra Modi government. He was also a minister in the previous NDA government. Paswan was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1977 on a Janata Party ticket from Hajipur in Bihar. (ANI)


News18
08-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
'Voters Will Decide My Seat': Union Minister Chirag Paswan Confirms To Contest Bihar Elections
Last Updated: Union minister Chirag Paswan on Sunday asserted that it is for the people of Bihar to decide from which seat he should contest the assembly elections due later this year. Amid the growing speculations, Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (LJP-RV) chief Chirag Paswan on Sunday confirmed that he would contest in the upcoming Bihar Legislative Assembly elections. 'I will contest the assembly polls in Bihar. I will contest not just in Bihar but for Bihar and its people. I am the son of Ram Vilas Paswan. I will realise the dreams of my father and work for 'Bihar first, Bihari first' to change Bihar," the LJP leader said. #WATCH | Arrah, Bihar: On Bihar Assembly Elections 2025, Union Minister Chirag Paswan says, 'For those who ask from where I will contest, I want to tell you that my party, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), and I will contest on 243 seats to make NDA candidates win and strengthen… — ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2025 While sounding the poll bugle at a rally in Bihar's Ara, the Union Minister asserted that it is for the people of Bihar to decide from which seat he should contest the assembly elections. 'It is for the people of Bihar to decide from which seat in the state I should contest the assembly elections. Whenever I take a political decision, I take it for the sake of the state and its people," he added. Paswan further said that his party will make every effort to ensure that the NDA wins the assembly polls with a huge margin. 'My alliance is only with the people of Bihar, I will contest on all 243 seats to make the NDA stronger. I will live and die for Bihar and for the people of the state… for the pride of the state," he said. Further, Paswan stated that that his plans to contest the elections – preferably from an unreserved constituency – should not be seen as his alleged chief ministerial ambition. 'Let me make one thing very clear. My contest will only ensure a better strike rate for my party, which would help the NDA," he added. The 42-year-old, who was said to have been used by the BJP in the last state election to relegate Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's party to the second position, also touched an emotional chord, saying now that he has lost his father, the people of Bihar are his only family. 'My alliance is only with the people of Bihar, I will contest on all 243 seats to make the NDA stronger. I will live and die for Bihar and for the people of the state… for the pride of the state," he said. Earlier this week, Chirag Paswan had expressed his intention to contest the assembly election. 'I don't see myself in central politics for too long. My reason for entering politics was Bihar and the people of Bihar. I want to take forward my vision of 'Bihar First, Bihari First'," he had said. Having won from a reserved seat like Jamui and Hajipur (his father Ram Vilas Paswan contested from this seat, which became a bone of contention with his uncle at one point), the Union minister is focused on a general seat like Nawada. In the 2020 election, the JD(U) contested 115 seats but won only 43. The BJP, meanwhile, won 71 out of 110 seats it contested while the HAM won four of seven seats. Vikaasheel Insaan Party won four of the 11 it contested, taking the NDA's score to 125. The LJP, which was part of the NDA, had quit the alliance before the election while the RLSP was also not part of the alliance. (With inputs from agencies) First Published: June 08, 2025, 20:56 IST


Time of India
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Will contest Bihar assembly polls: Chirag declares from Ara
Ara: LJP(RV) national president and Union minister Chirag Paswan on Sunday formally announced that he would contest the upcoming assembly elections in the state to realise his vision of "Bihar First, Bihari First. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now " He was addressing the 'Nav Sankalp Mahasabha' held at Veer Kunwar Singh Stadium in Ramna Maidan, Ara. Amidst resounding cheers from a sea of enthusiastic supporters and party workers from seven districts — Bhojpur, Buxar, Kaimur, Rohtas, Arwal, Aurangabad, and western Patna, Chirag declared, "People frequently ask me whether I will contest the assembly elections. Today, from this Nav Sankalp Mahasabha at Ara, I want to end all speculation. Yes, I will definitely contest the Bihar assembly polls. But I will leave it to you, my party workers and leaders, to decide from which seat I should contest. " Chirag said: "I will contest this election only to make Bihar a prosperous and progressive state. Not only will I fight from my own seat, but I will campaign across all 243 constituencies to ensure a sweeping victory for the ." Chirag's address blended electoral strategy with emotional outreach. Recalling his personal and political journey post the demise of his father, LJP founder , he said, "After my father passed away, those who were supposed to support me as family and guides betrayed me. They broke not only my party but also my family. But today, all of you — my party workers — are my family." Evoking the legacy of his father, he said, "I am the son of Ram Vilas Paswan, who was as fearless as a lion. I will neither abandon my party workers nor the people of Bihar." He urged the youth to join him in halting migration from Bihar by working towards establishing world-class educational institutions and factories within the state. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Earlier in his speech, the LJP(RV) chief launched a sharp attack on the Congress and RJD, accusing both parties of perpetuating "Jungle Raj" and failing to uplift dalits. He said, "Congress shattered the dreams of Karpoori Thakur ji. The Jungle Raj, which began in the 1980s during the Congress regime, flourished further under RJD rule. Bihar saw several massacres and a spike in crime under their governance." He contrasted this with the contributions of the NDA govts, recalling that it was during VP Singh's tenure, when his father Ram Vilas Paswan was a Union minister, that B R Ambedkar was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna and his portrait installed in Parliament. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's govt for honouring Karpoori Thakur with the Bharat Ratna, a recognition denied by successive Congress regimes. LJP(RV) MPs Arun Bharati, Veena Devi, Shambhavi Choudhary and Rajesh Verma; party state president Raju Tiwari; parliamentary board president and former MLC Hulas Pandey; Yuva LJP(RV) state president Ved Prakash Pandey; Chhatra LJP(RV) national president Yamini Mishra and Bhojpur district president Rajeshwar Paswan and others were present the rally.


Time of India
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
People of Bihar will decide from which seat I should contest assembly polls: Chirag Paswan
Union minister Chirag Paswan said on Sunday that it is for the people of Bihar to decide from which seat he should contest the assembly elections due later this year. Paswan, the minister of food processing industries , made the statement at a rally in Ara in Bhojpur district where his party, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), sounded the poll bugle. "I will contest the assembly polls in Bihar. I will contest not just in Bihar but for Bihar and its people. I am the son of Ram Vilas Paswan . I will realise the dreams of my father and work for 'Bihar first, Bihari first' to change Bihar," he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Elegant New Scooters For Seniors In 2024: The Prices May Surprise You Mobility Scooter | Search Ads Learn More Undo "It is for the people of Bihar to decide from which seat in the state I should contest the assembly elections. Whenever I take a political decision, I take it for the sake of the state and its people," he added. Paswan said his party will make every effort to ensure that the NDA wins the assembly polls with a huge margin. Live Events "My alliance is only with the people of Bihar, I will contest on all 243 seats to make the NDA stronger. I will live and die for Bihar and for the people of the state... for the pride of the state," he said. Paswan also made it clear that his plans to contest the elections from an unreserved constituency should not be construed as his chief ministerial ambitions. "Let me make one thing very clear. My contest will only ensure a better strike rate for my party, which would help the NDA," he said. Without taking the name of his uncle Pashupati Nath Paras, Paswan said, "I was recovering from the grief of my father's demise. I am proud that I fought like the cub of a lion. My own family members had begun to bare their fangs soon after the death of my father. It was quite clear that they did it all because of their ambitions. "People tried to break me. I am the son of Ram Vilas Paswan and cannot be broken. It was only the people of Bihar who stood by me during challenging times." Following a fallout between Paswan and his uncle after the death of his father, the Lok Janshakti Party split and the EC allotted new names and symbols to the two factions. Reacting to Rahul Gandhi's comment that Bihar has become the "crime capital" of the country, Paswan said the Congress leader must speak about the 'jungal-raaj' (lawlessness) the state witnessed before 2005. "It was Congress and RJD who were responsible for the 'jungal-raaj' in the state. The double-engine government under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has changed Bihar. Now, the image of the state has entirely changed. The state is witnessing overall development under the NDA rule," he said.