{{short description|Indian politician (born 1952)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}} {{Use Indian English|date=September 2018}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Pashupati Kumar Paras | image = Pashupati Kumar Paras (cropped).jpg | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1952|07|12|df=y}} | birth_place = Shaharbani, Bihar, India | office = Union Minister of Food Processing Industries | prime_minister = Narendra Modi | successor = Kiren Rijiju | term_start = 7 July 2021 | term_end = 19 March 2024 | predecessor = Narendra Singh Tomar | office1 = Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | term_start1 = 23 May 2019 | term_end1 = 4 June 2024 | successor1 = Chirag Paswan | predecessor1 = Ram Vilas Paswan | constituency1 = Hajipur, Bihar | party = Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party | office2 = President of the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party | predecessor2 = ''Office established'' | successor2 = | term_start2 = {{start date|2021|10|05|df=yes}} | term_end2 = | office3 = Member of Bihar Legislative Assembly | constituency3 = Alauli | term_start3 = {{start date|1977}} | term_end3 = {{end date|1980}} | predecessor3 = Mishri Sada | successor3 = Mishri Sada | constituency4 = Alauli | term_start4 = {{start date|1985}} | term_end4 = {{end date|2010}} | predecessor4 = Mishri Sada | successor4 = Ram Chandra Sada | occupation = Politician | 1blankname = | 1namedata = | other_party = Lok Janshakti Party | caption = Paras in 2019 | relations = Ram Vilas Paswan (brother)<br>Ram Chandra Paswan (brother)<br>Chirag Paswan (nephew)<br>Prince Raj (nephew) | children = 2 (including Yash Raj Paswan) | spouse = {{marriage|Sobha Devi|1971}} }} '''Pashupati Kumar Paras''' (born 12 July 1952) is an Indian politician who served as the Minister of Food Processing Industries in the Government of India from 2021 till his resignation in 2024. He was also a member of 17th Lok Sabha from Hajipur (Lok Sabha constituency).
He also held the post of the Minister of Animal and Fisheries Resources in the Government of Bihar.<ref>{{Cite web|title='No formalin threat to fish lovers in Bihar'|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/no-formalin-threat-to-fish-lovers-in-state/articleshow/65059809.cms|date=July 20, 2018|website=The Times of India|language=en|access-date=2020-05-11}}</ref> He is the younger brother of late Ram Vilas Paswan and he was also the State President of the Bihar unit of Lok Janshakti Party.
He was elected as the National President of Lok Janshakti Party replacing Chirag Kumar Paswan in June 2021. After Lok Janshakti Party split into two factions, he has been the National President of Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party since 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=EC allots 'Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party' to Pashupati Paras {{!}} Latest News & Updates at DNAIndia.com|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/video-ec-allots-rashtriya-lok-janshakti-party-to-pashupati-paras-2914245|access-date=2021-10-11|website=DNA India|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Lok Janshakti Party EC allots name Lok Janshakti Party Ram Vilas and election symbol Helicopter to Chirag Paswan Pashupati Kumar Paras Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party एलजेपी के हुए दो फाड़, EC ने बना दिए 2 दल, चिराग पासवान के दल का नाम हुआ लोक जनशक्ति पार्टी (रामविलास {{!}} Times Now Navbharat Hindi News|url=https://www.timesnowhindi.com/india/article/ec-allots-name-lok-janshakti-party-ram-vilas-and-election-symbol-helicopter-to-chirag-paswan-pashupati-kumar-paras-rashtriya-lok-janshakti-party/366471|access-date=2021-10-11|website=www.timesnowhindi.com|date=5 October 2021 }}</ref>
==Political career== He has been a member of Bihar Legislative Assembly 7 times from Alauli since 1977. He has earlier served thrice as a minister in the state, having lost the last election in 2015. At the time of his appointment as a Minister in 2017, he was neither a member of Assembly nor Council and was therefore later accommodated as an MLC from the Governor's quota.<ref>[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/wont-agree-on-less-than-7-ls-seats-ljp/articleshow/66336340.cms Won’t agree on less than 7 Lok Sabha seats: Paras]</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/most-jdu-faces-retained-in-28-member-nitish-cabinet-bjp-gets-11-ljp-one-4773411/ | title=Most JDU faces retained in 28-member Nitish Cabinet: BJP gets 11, LJP one | newspaper=The Indian Express | first=Santosh | last=Singh | date=30 July 2017 | accessdate=15 January 2022 }}</ref>
He was elected as member of the 17th Lok Sabha in the 2019 Indian general election from Hajipur constituency.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hajipur election result: Ram Vilas Paswan's brother Pasupati Kumar Paras wins, beats RJD's Shiv Chandra Ram {{!}} The Financial Express |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/elections/hajipur-election-result-bihar-lok-sabha-2019/1577945/lite/ |access-date=2023-01-19 |website=www.financialexpress.com|date=24 May 2019 }}</ref> He became Minister of Food Processing Industry in Second Modi ministry when cabinet overhaul happened.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/modi-cabinet-rejig-full-list-of-new-ministers-1825111-2021-07-07|title=Modi cabinet rejig: Full list of new ministers|website=India Today|date=7 July 2021 |access-date=2021-07-07}}</ref>
Pashupati Kumar Paras resigned from Modi’s cabinet on 19 March 2024 after RLJP did not receive any seat allocations in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Bihar.<ref name="Union Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras resigns from Union cabinet, cries ‘injustice’ done against him, party">{{cite news |last1=The Hindu |first1= |title=Union Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras resigns from Union cabinet, cries 'injustice' done against him, party |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/denied-a-ticket-nda-ally-pashupati-kumar-paras-resigns-from-union-cabinet/article67967475.ece |access-date=20 March 2024 |date=19 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320072935/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/denied-a-ticket-nda-ally-pashupati-kumar-paras-resigns-from-union-cabinet/article67967475.ece |archive-date=20 March 2024 |language=en-IN}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|in-lwr}} {{s-bef|before=Ram Vilas Paswan}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament<br />for Hajipur |years=2019–2024}} {{s-aft|after=Chirag Paswan}} |- {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Narendra Singh Tomar}} {{s-ttl|title=Minister of Food Processing Industries|years=7 July 2021 - 19 March 2024}} {{s-aft|after=Kiren Rijiju}} |- {{s-end}}
{{Second Narendra Modi Cabinet|state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paras, Pashupati Kumar}} Category:People from Hajipur Category:Lok Janshakti Party politicians Category:Janata Party politicians Category:Bharatiya Lok Dal politicians Category:Janata Dal politicians Category:Janata Dal (United) politicians Category:Bihar MLAs 1977–1980 Category:India MPs 2019–2024 Category:Living people Category:Narendra Modi ministry Category:1952 births Category:Bihar MLAs 1985–1990 Category:Bihar MLAs 1990–1995 Category:Bihar MLAs 1995–2000 Category:Bihar MLAs 2000–2005 Category:Bihar MLAs 2005–2010