The Aryavarth Express
Agency (Lucknow): Following in the footsteps of his late father, Kamlesh Paswan has carried forward his family’s political legacy by securing a fourth consecutive win from the Bansgaon (SC) Lok Sabha seat in the recent elections. On Sunday, the newly elected Lok Sabha MP ascended to a higher political role by taking the oath of office and secrecy as a Union Minister of State (MoS).
Paswan, a 47-year-old member of the Pasi community, defeated Sadal Prasad of the Congress by a margin of just over 3,000 votes. The Bansgaon (SC) seat includes the assembly segments of Bansgaon (SC), Chauri Chaura, and Chillupar in Gorakhpur district, as well as Rudrapur and Barhaj in the neighboring Deoria district.
Paswan’s mother, Subhawati Devi, was also a Lok Sabha MP from Bansgaon (SC) in the 11th Lok Sabha. His father, Om Prakash Paswan, a politician, was assassinated in 1996 while addressing a public function. At that time, Kamlesh Paswan was studying in college in Gorakhpur and was too young to contest any election.
Om Prakash Paswan was elected as the MLA from the Maniram assembly constituency in 1989 (Hindu Mahasabha), 1991 (BJP), and 1993 (BJP). After his assassination, his brother Chandresh Paswan was elected MLA from the Maniram seat on an SP ticket. Kamlesh Paswan served as a member of Uttar Pradesh’s Legislative Assembly from 2002 to 2007 from the Maniram assembly constituency as an SP MLA.
A businessman by profession, Paswan has done an MA in political science from DDU Gorakhpur University, according to the Lok Sabha website. However, his election affidavit states that he completed a BA from DDU University Gorakhpur in 2012.
Paswan has a special interest in sports, as noted on the Lok Sabha website. His younger brother, Vimlesh Paswan, was elected as the MLA from the Bansgaon assembly constituency in 2017 and 2022 on a BJP ticket.