Kiren Rijiju gets additional charge after Pashupati Kumar Paras resigns from Union cabinet

Pashupati Kumar Paras, former Union minister and president of the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP), resigned from the Union Cabinet following his party’s exclusion from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) seat-sharing arrangement in Bihar for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. In response, President Droupadi Murmu accepted his resignation and appointed Kiren Rijiju with an additional charge as the Minister of Food Processing Industries.

Reason for Resignation:

• Paras resigned from the Union Cabinet due to his party’s omission from the NDA’s seat-sharing deal in Bihar for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
• The RLJP, led by Paras’s nephew Chirag Paswan, was not allocated any seats, prompting his decision.

Appointment of Kiren Rijiju:

• President Murmu, upon the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, assigned Kiren Rijiju the additional charge of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, previously held by Paras.

Electoral Implications:

• Paras’s resignation suggests a potential electoral battle in the Hajipur constituency, where he may contest against his nephew Chirag Paswan.
• This move adds complexity to the Bihar electoral landscape, with the BJP contesting more seats than its primary ally, the JD-U, for the first time.