Categories: Politics

From zero to hero: The rise of Chirag Paswan

Chirag Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party has been sworn in as a member of the new Union cabinet.

Chirag Paswan, the representative of the Hajipur Lok Sabha constituency, secured a ministerial position in Modi’s 3.0 cabinet. It is a remarkable turnaround for Paswan, once an aspiring movie star, from a potential political non-entity to a Union minister. 

The Hajipur seat holds special significance for Paswan given it was represented by his father, the late Ram Vilas Paswan, who founded the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) in year 2000.

Chirag Paswan’s achievement is particularly notable given the previous divisions within his party, led by his uncle Pashupati Paras, which resulted in the loss of the party’s official symbol. 

This forced Paswan, 41, to float a new political outfit, Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas Paswan), which won all five seats it contested in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls—Hajipur, Jamui, Khagaria, Samastipur and Vaishali.

Chirag Paswan’s political journey began in 2012 when he joined the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). Two years later, in 2014, he contested and won the Lok Sabha elections from Jamui constituency in Bihar.

This seat holds historical significance for Paswan, as his father represented it eight times since his first victory in 1977. 

During his tenure as an MP, he served on several parliamentary committees and held the position of chairman of LJP’s Central Parliamentary Board.

In 2019, he was re-elected from the Jamui constituency and later that year, he was elected as the national president of the LJP.

Born in 1983, Chirag studied at the National Institute of Open Schooling in Delhi. He pursued a B.Tech in Computer Engineering from the Institute of Engineering and Technology in Jhansi in 2005 but dropped out in the third semester.

Prior to joining politics, Chirag Paswan had a brief stint in Bollywood. In 2011, he made his debut in the movie “Miley Naa Miley Hum” alongside Kangana Ranaut, another fellow member of Parliament elected in 2024.

However, the film did not perform well at the box office, leading Chirag to leave the film industry and pursue a career in politics in 2012.

Chirag’s entry into politics was pivotal for the LJP. He played a crucial role in forming an alliance with the BJP in 2014, convincing his father to rekindle the partnership that had been severed in 2002 following the Gujarat riots.

Chirag’s efforts quickly revitalized the LJP, which won six seats in 2014 from zero in 2009. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the LJP won the six seats it contested in an alliance with the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and the BJP.

As per the affidavit submitted to the Election Commission (EC), MP Chirag Paswan’s net worth stands at 2.68 crore, including movable assets worth 1.66 crore and immovable assets worth 1.02 crore.

However, Chirag faced controversy after the demise of his father in 2020, when he clashed with his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras. 

In 2021, five LJP MPs rallied against Paswan and joined hands with Paras. Later, everything was ironed out.

 

Milestone Alert!
Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world 🌏 Click here to know more.

3.6 Crore Indians visited in a single day choosing us as India’s undisputed platform for General Election Results. Explore the latest updates here!

Catch all the Politics News and Updates on Live Mint.
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.

More
Less

Published: 09 Jun 2024, 09:16 PM IST

News Today

Recent Posts

Kareena Kapoor’s Next Untitled Film With Meghna Gulzar Gets Prithviraj Sukumaran On Board

Kareena Kapoor is working with Raazi director Meghna Gulzar for her next film. The project,…

2 weeks ago

Purdue basketball freshman Daniel Jacobsen injured vs Northern Kentucky

2024-11-09 15:00:03 WEST LAFAYETTE -- Daniel Jacobsen's second game in Purdue basketball's starting lineup lasted…

2 weeks ago

Rashida Jones honors dad Quincy Jones with heartfelt tribute: ‘He was love’

2024-11-09 14:50:03 Rashida Jones is remembering her late father, famed music producer Quincy Jones, in…

2 weeks ago

Nosferatu Screening at Apollo Theatre Shows Student Interest in Experimental Cinema – The Oberlin Review

2024-11-09 14:40:03 A silent German expressionist film about vampires accompanied by Radiohead’s music — what…

2 weeks ago

What Are Adaptogens? Find Out How These 3 Herbs May Help You Tackle Stress Head-On

Let's face it - life can be downright stressful! With everything moving at breakneck speed,…

2 weeks ago

The new Mac Mini takes a small step towards upgradeable storage

Apple’s redesigned Mac Mini M4 has ditched the previous M2 machine’s SSD that was soldered…

2 weeks ago