Nomination of Paswan's brother as MLC mired in huge row

Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan’s younger brother Pashupati Kumar Paras, who was nominated as MLC under Governor’s quota, has landed into huge controversy.

Not only a PIL has been filed in the Patna High Court challenging the decision, the Opposition Congress has also raised strong objection over his ‘nomination’. The party, which till recently was Nitish’s ally, has demanded that Paras be disqualified as MLC since he does not qualify in any of the category under which a Governor can nominate MLC with knowledge or practical experience in literature, science, arts or social service.

“The Nitish Government has violated Article 171 of the Constitution,” said senior Congress leader Harku Jha claiming that Paras did not have the requisite qualification to be nominated as MLC even under social service category. “The law stipulates that anyone who is president of a political party cannot be treated to be into social service,” argued Jha.

Paras is president of the Bihar unit of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). Having lost the 2015 Assembly elections from Alauli in Khagaria district, Paras was not a member of either of the House when he was inducted into Nitish Cabinet last month. However, he was made Animal Husbandry and Fisheries minister in Nitish Government (instead of the two LJP MLAs in the Assembly because the two legislators reportedly had a shady past).

Nitish, who has always opposed promotion of family in politics, however, this time overlooked nepotism in Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP. While three out of six LJP MPs belong to Paswan’s family, his younger brother is now a minister in Nitish regime.

Meanwhile, a public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Patna High Court seeking disqualification of Paras as MLC under ‘nominated category’.

“This a complete misuse and abuse of power by the Bihar government. Paras has been ‘nominated’ as MLC just to please the alliance partner LJP,” said the High Court lawyer and the petitioner Manibhushan Pratap Sengar. The court is likely to hear the case next week.