PATNA: At a time when a raging debate is on across the country on dynasty politics, Union minister and
Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas
Paswan on Tuesday appointed his nephew Prince Raj (28) as the national president of the party's student wing.
Raj is son of LJP's Samastipur MP Ram Chandra Paswan who is brother of union minister Ram Vilas. "Prince Raj has been appointed the national president of the student wing of the LJP," a statement from the party said here on Tuesday.
Raj had contested the
Bihar assembly polls from Kalyanpur (reserved) in 2015 but lost to Maheshwar Hazari of the ruling JD(U). Hazari, who is now building construction minister in Bihar, is also a relative of Paswan family.
With this appointment, Raj has become fifth member in the Paswan family to hold key posts in the party. Ram Vilas's another brother, Pashupati Kumar Paras, is the LJP state unit chief and a minister in the
Nitish Kumar government.
Paras, who was recently nominated to the state legislative council from the governor's quota, holds the portfolio of animal and fisheries resources department.
Paswan's son Chirag is
Lok Sabha member from Jamui while Ram Vilas himself is Lok Sabha member from his traditional Hajipur constituency. Chirag is also the chairman of LJP's central parliamentary board.
Besides these five members, Ram Vilas's two sons-in-law have unsuccessfully contested assembly polls in Bihar on LJP tickets in different election years.
Interestingly, Ram Vilas had recently backed Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's remarks on dynasty politics saying it should not be promoted at the cost of merit.
Talking to reporters in Patna on September 18 last year, Ram Vilas had said, "If someone has the merit and capability to become a leader, then s/he should not be stopped from entering politics just because of their political lineage."
Earlier on the same day, Nitish had disapproved of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remark that dynasties are a fact of life in India, saying he is personally against such politics which was "generated" by the Congress. When asked to comment on Nitish's observations, Paswan had said whatever the Bihar CM had said was right.
But, LJP chief is not alone in Bihar promoting family members in politics. RJD chief Lalu Prasad too has appointed four members of his family on key posts in his party. While Lalu himself is RJD national president, his wife
Rabri Devi, a former CM, is the leader of RJD's legislative party in state legislative council.
Lalu's younger son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav is the leader of opposition in Bihar assembly while his elder son Tej Pratap Yadav is MLA from Mahua constituency. Lalu's elder daughter Misa Bharti is a Rajya Sabha member from Bihar.