Pashupati Kumar Paras Wiki, Age, Caste, Wife, Family, Biography & More

Pashupati Kumar Paras is an Indian politician, who is a member of the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party. He was appointed as the Minister of Food Processing Industries in the Government of India on 7 July 2021. He also held the post of the Minister of Animal and Fisheries Resources in the Government of Bihar. Pashupati is the younger brother of the Indian politician Ram Vilas Paswan.

Wiki/Biography

Pashupati Kumar Paras was born on Saturday, 12 July 1952 (age 71 years; as of 2023) in Shaharbani, Bihar, India. His zodiac sign is Cancer. He attended Koshi College, Khagaria, to pursue a B.A. in Political Science (Hons) (1972). In 1974, he obtained a B.Ed from Teachers’ Training College, Tilka Majhi Bhagalpur University, Bhagalpur, Bihar. ^[1]MyNeta ^[2]National Portal of India He served the government of Bihar before venturing into politics. He was introduced to politics by his elder brother, Ram Vilas Paswan.

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 8″

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Black

Family

Parents & Siblings

Pashupati Kumar Paras’ father’s name is Jamun Das and his mother’s name is Siya Devi. His elder brother, Ram Vilas Paswan, was a politician and founder of the Lok Janshakti Party. Ram Vilas Paswan died on 8 October 2020 after undergoing heart surgery. Pashupati’s younger brother, Ram Chandra Paswan, was also a politician. Ram Chandra Paswan died on 21 July 2019 after suffering a cardiac arrest at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi.

Wife & Children

Pashupati Kumar Paras is married to Shobha Devi, a retired government employee. Together, they have a son, Yashraj.

Other Relatives

Pashupati Kumar Paras’ nephew Chirag Kumar Paswan (son of Ram Vilas Paswan) is an actor-turned-politician. His nephew Prince Raj (son of Ram Chandra Paswan) is also a politician.

Religion & Caste

Pashupati Kumar Paras follows Hinduism. ^[3]The Times of India He belongs to a Schedule Caste (Dalit) family. ^[4]India Today

Address

Mantriji Tola, Village & P.O. Shahrbanni, P.S. Alauli, Distt. Khagaria-848203

Signature

Career

Pashupati Kumar Paras began his political career in 1978 by contesting and winning the Bihar Legislative Assembly from the Alauli Constituency (a seat formerly represented by his brother Ram Vilas Paswan) on a ticket from the Janata party. He represented the assembly segment seven times, firstly on the tickets of the Janata Dal and later on the ticket of his brother Ram Vilas Paswan’s party Lok Janshakti Party.

In 2015, he contested the Bihar Legislative Assembly elections from the Alauli constituency on a ticket of the Lok Janshakti Party. However, he lost the election to Chandan Kumar of the Rashtriya Janata Dal by a margin of 24470 votes. In 2017, he became a member of the Nitest Cabinet after the chief minister realigned with the NDA. At the time of his appointment as a minister of Animal and Fisheries Resources in the Bihar Government, he was not a member of either the Legislative Assembly or the Council. As a result, he was included in the Council of Ministers as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) under the Governor’s quota. He has previously served as a minister in the Bihar cabinet three times. In the past, he has also held the position of Bihar unit state president for the Lok Janshakti Party.

In May 2019, Paras was elected to the 17th Lok Sabha from the Hajipur constituency on a ticket of the Lok Janshakti Party. Meanwhile, Paras served as a Member of the Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment, Member of Committee on Government Assurances, and Member of the Standing Committee on Defence. In June 2021, he assumed the role of National President of the Lok Janshakti Party, replacing Chirag Kumar Paswan. Later, he also served as a Member of the Consultative Committee on the Ministry of Railways.

There was a faction in the Lok Janshakti Party shortly after the demise of Ram Vilas Paswan, following which Pashupati Kumar Paras became the National President of Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (paras’ breakaway faction). On 7 July 2021, Pashupati Kumar Paras took oath as the Union Minister of Food Processing Industry after he was recognised as the leader of the Lok Janshakti Party in Lok Sabha.

Controversy

Cases Where Pending

• 1 charge related to Disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant (IPC Section-188) ^[5]MyNeta

War of Legacy

Since the demise of Ram Vilas Paswan in 2021, there has been an ongoing rivalry between his son Chirag Paswan and his brother Pashupati Kumar Paras over the legacy of Ram Vilas Paswan. Chirag, who was hoping to step into father Ram Vilas’s shoes as the sole leader of the Paswan Community, was disappointed when Paras replaced him as the leader of his father’s party Lok Janshakti Party. Apparently, after the demise of Ram Vilas, five out of six-party MPs extended their support to Pashupati. Later, Chirag claimed that his uncle’s selection was illegal as Pashupati was elected as the leader of the Lok Janshakti Party by the members who were suspended from the party. ^[6]The Economic Times On several occasions, Paras has projected himself as the political heir of Ram Vilas, arguing that Ram Vilas passed on his Lok Sabha constituency of Hajipur in the 2019 general election to him and not to Chirag. In a media conversation, elucidating why he considers himself as the successor of Ram Vilas Paswan, Paras said,

I will explain why I call myself the political successor of ‘bade saheb’. He started off as an MLA from Alauli in Bihar in 1969 and gave up the seat in 1977 upon becoming the MP from Hajipur. He asked me to contest from the assembly seat and I followed his orders though I was in a government job.”

He further said,

He was my brother and my ideal. Today I am sad that both my brothers are no more. I know many of you will come to Chirag. Let me tell you clearly that I am the real political successor of Paswanji. Chirag Paswan is definitely his son but he is not and cannot be his political successor. He definitely has a right on his father’s assets as per the Hindu Succession law.”

Assets & Properties

Movable Assets

• Cash: Rs. 1,25,000

• Bank Deposits: Rs. 70,09,601

• Shares: Rs. 23,178

• Loans & Advances Given: Rs. 14,00,000

• Motor Vehicles: Rs. 4,20,000

• Jewellery: Rs. 2,00,000

Immovable Assets

• Agricultural Land: Rs. 28,00,000

• Residential Buildings: Rs. 38,00,000

Note: The given estimates of movable and immovable assets are according to the year 2019. It excludes the assets owned by his wife and dependents (minor). ^[7]MyNeta

Net Worth

Pashupati Kumar Paras’ net worth for the financial year 2019 was Rs. 90,33,404. It excludes the net worth of his wife and dependents (minors). ^[8]MyNeta

Salary/Income

His aggregate income for the financial year 2018-2019 was Rs. 16,60,255. ^[9]MyNeta

Facts/Trivia

• He has been elected as an MLA 8 times since 1978.

• In 2023, when Pashupati’s nephew who is Lok Sabha MP from Jamui, announced his decision to contest for Hajipur, Paras asserted that he would not give up his Hajipur Lok Sabha seat for nephew Chirag Paswan. ^[10]The Print