Northeast Desk, 20th March: In a significant development, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has been entrusted with the additional responsibility of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. The announcement came following the resignation of Pashupati Kumar Paras from the Union Council of Ministers.
President Droupadi Murmu accepted Paras’s resignation and appointed Cabinet Minister Kiren Rijiju to oversee the Ministry of Food Processing Industries alongside his current role overseeing the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
Paras, the President of the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP), tendered his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi the previous day, ahead of his anticipated candidacy announcement for the Hajipur constituency in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He awaits the candidate list from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), RLJP’s ally, emphasizing the allocation of seats to RLJP members. Paras has warned the BJP of exploring alternative options if their demands are not met.
This development occurs amidst internal strife within the RLJP and its parent party, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), indicating broader power struggles within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) political circle. Additionally, the BJP’s recent alliance with Paras’s estranged nephew, Chirag Paswan, in Bihar adds complexity to the political landscape.
The assignment of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries to Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and Paras’s resignation underscore the ongoing political maneuvering and alliance dynamics within the NDA in anticipation of the Lok Sabha elections.
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