Delhi; 09 Oct 2020 (UMMN): Ram Vilas Paswan, the consumer affairs minister in PM Narendra Modi's cabinet and the founder of the Lok Janshakti Party has died days after his heart surgery. He was 74.
Paswan is the 2nd union minister to die in the space of two months - Suresh Angadi died of coronavirus in September.
Known as one of the great survivors in Indian politics, Ram Vilas Paswan has been a minister in almost all Central governments headed by parties of contrasting ideological persuasions, ranging from the Janata Dal to the Congress and the BJP since 1989, and served six Prime ministers, starting with the cabinet of VP Singh.
According to NDTV, Paswan was a powerful Dalit leader from Bihar, among the young leaders -- along with Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar -- who were inspired and nurtured by the JP movement in the '70s.
He was jailed during the 1975 Emergency and made his way into record books for the 1977 parliamentary elections, when he won from the Hajipur Lok Sabha seat in Bihar with the highest-ever margin, reported NDTV.
Paswan has left behind 2 wives, Reena Sharma and Rajkumari Devi, and 3 children Asha Paswan and Usha Paswan from first wife, and Chirag Paswan from second.
