Rajiv Pratap Rudy

Rajiv Pratap Rudy (born 30 March 1962) is an Indian politician from the Bharatiya Janata Party,[1] and a Member of Parliament representing Saran (Lok Sabha constituency) in Bihar, India.[2]

Rajiv Pratap Rudy
Rajiv Pratap Rudy
Minister of State
Government of India
In office
9 November 2014 – 31 August 2017
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi
Ministry
Term
Minister of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship
(Independent Charge)		9 November 2014 - 31 August 2017
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs9 November 2014 - 5 July 2016
In office
1 September 2002 – 22 May 2004
Prime MinisterAtal Bihari Vajpayee
Ministry
Term
Minister of Civil Aviation
(Independent Charge)		24 May 2003 - 22 May 2004
Minister of Commerce & Industry1 September 2002 - 24 May 2003
Member of Parliament
Lok Sabha
Assumed office
2014
Preceded byLalu Prasad yadav
ConstituencySaran
In office
1999–2004
Preceded byHeera Lal Rai
Succeeded byLalu Prasad Yadav
ConstituencyChapra
In office
1996–1998
Preceded byLal Babu Rai
Succeeded byHeera Lal Rai
ConstituencyChapra
Member of Parliament
Rajya Sabha
In office
4 July 2008 – 16 May 2014
Preceded byJai Narain Prasad Nishad
Succeeded byPavan Varma
ConstituencyBihar
Member of Bihar Legislative Assembly
In office
1990–1995
Preceded byRam Das Rai
Succeeded byRam Das Rai
ConstituencyTaraiya
Personal details
Born (1962-03-30) 30 March 1962
Amnour, Saran, Bihar
Political partyBharatiya Janata Party
(1999–present)Bihar People's Party
(1995-1999)
Spouse
Neelam Pratap
​
(m. 1991)​
Children2
Alma materPanjab University

In 2014. Rudy became the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in Narendra Modi's government. Simultaneously he also shared Parliamentary Affairs department jointly with Minister of State, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. Rudy was a General Secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party, a position relinquished soon after he joined the government. Rudy is a trained pilot and holds a commercial pilot's license. He is featured in the Limca Book of Records as the only parliamentarian to fly a commercial aircraft, an Airbus-320 of Indigo airlines.[3][4]

Early life

Rajiv Pratap Rudy was born to Vishwanath Singh and Prabha Singh on 30 March 1962 in Patna, Bihar.[5][6] His ancestral village is Amnour, Saran, Bihar.[7][8][9] Rudy completed his school education from St. Michael's High School, Patna.[10] Later, he completed his pre-university and pre-engineering from DAV College, Chandigarh. He completed his graduation in B.A. (Hons.) in Economics at Government College, Chandigarh. Later he also completed a degree in Law from Panjab University in 1985 and studied post-graduation in Economics from Magadh University in 1987.

Prior to joining politics, he was a lecturer of Economics in A.N. College, Patna[11] though he was involved in student politics at Panjab University at Chandigarh when studying at Government College.[12]

Political career

Rudy was the campaign in charge of Harmohan Dhawan, who was contesting from the Chandigarh Lok Sabha constituency in 1989. He was actively associated with former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar. Rudy was first elected in 1990 as a Member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly on Janata Dal ticket from Taraiya at the young age of 28.[13] He was elected to the Lok Sabha - the lower house of the Parliament of India - as a candidate of the BJP.[13] He was re–elected for a second term of Lok Sabha in 1999, from Chapra (Lok Sabha constituency) for BJP.[13] He then served as the Minister of State for Commerce, Trade & Industry and subsequently became Civil Aviation Minister with independent charge in the National Democratic Alliance government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.[14][13] During that tenure, Rudy was in controversy of non-payment of his bills at Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Goa, which he had to later pay.[14]

Rudy had earlier held the post of National Vice President of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. He was the General Secretary and member of the BJP National Executive.

Rudy lost to Lalu Prasad in 2004 General elections in Chapra (Lok Sabha constituency).[15][16] He was then elected to Rajya Sabha from Bihar in 2010.[5][17][18] He contested the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections from Saran (Lok Sabha constituency) and defeated former Chief Minister of Bihar, Rabri Devi.[19][20] following which he was sworn-in as Minister of State on 9 November 2014 and got Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.[21]

In October 2015, Rajiv Pratap Rudy was in a controversy over sharing on Twitter a screenshot of Pakistan's daily Dawn website carrying Nitish Kumar's ad of vote appeal during 2015 Bihar Legislative Assembly election, prompting JD(U) to launch a sharp attack on him and seek his immediate sacking.[22] He submitted his resignation from the cabinet on 31/8/2017 prior to imminent reshuffle in September 2017.

In May 2021, Rajiv Pratap Rudy was criticized when 30 unused ambulances were found parked at his Amnour Vishw-Prabha community centre, even when Bihar was struggling under second wave of COVID-19 pandemic.[23] These ambulances were purchased using funds from the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS).[24] Jan Adhikar Party chief Pappu Yadav raided that community centre run by Rudy.[25]

Personal life

Rudy married Neelam Pratap on 9 March 1991 at the age of 29.[26][27] They have two daughters.[13] Elder daughter Avshreya Rudy (born 1993) is a lawyer and also a polo player.[28] His younger daughter Atisha Pratap Singh (born 2000) is a kuchipudi dancer.[29][30][31][32]

References
  1. "Bringing out the jazz & blues for July 4 | Delhi News - Times of India". The Times of India.
  2. "It is a Clash of 'Stylish' Titans in Bihar's Saran as Rajiv Rudy, Chandrika Rai Give Classy Twist to LS Battle". 3 May 2019.
  3. "We politicians have betrayed nation: Rajiv Pratap Rudy - Times of India". The Times of India.
  4. "Lunch with BS: Rajiv Pratap Rudy". Business Standard India. 10 April 2015.
  5. "Rudy details for Rajya Sabha June 2010" (PDF).
  6. "Rudy profile" (PDF).
  7. "Amnour village" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  8. Chowdhury, Kavita (18 April 2014). "Rudy, a Rajput from Amnaur and a trained commercial pilot". Business Standard India.
  9. "Rajiv Pratap Rudy Biography - About family, political life, awards won, history". Elections in India. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  10. "Made in Chandigarh: Panjab University groomed me for politics, says MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy". 22 June 2018.
  11. "National Portal of India".
  12. "JET SET GO". Archived from the original on 1 May 2004.
  13. "Member's Web Site". Archived from the original on 13 January 2009.
  14. "Hotel bill row: BJP defends Rajiv Pratap Rudy, political slugfest kicks off". India Today. 23 February 2004.
  15. "Election 2004: Laloo Yadav takes on Rajiv Pratap Rudy in Chhapra". India Today. 3 May 2004.
  16. "Rajiv Rudy on Chhapra poll". www.rediff.com.
  17. "Ram Vilas Paswan, Rajiv Pratap Rudy win Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar". Hindustan Times. 17 June 2010. Archived from the original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  18. "National Office Bearers". Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  19. "Saran win". Archived from the original on 27 October 2015.
  20. "Rudy defeats Rabri Devi". 14 March 2014.
  21. "Cabinet Expansion: Manohar Parrikar gets Defence, Harsh Vardhan transferred from Health to Science Ministry". New Delhi: PTI. 10 November 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  22. "Failed By a Screenshot, Rajiv Pratap Rudy Faces Digital Jibes". NDTV.com.
  23. "In Bihar, Pappu Yadav, BJP MP Trade Words Over Unused Ambulances". NDTV.com.
  24. Mishra, Dipak (8 May 2021). "No drivers, says BJP's Rajiv Pratap Rudy after Pappu Yadav targets him for idle ambulance fleet".
  25. "Rudy to Pappu: Spare drivers for ambulances | Patna News - Times of India". The Times of India.
  26. "Leading a full life". The Asian Age.
  27. "Rudy archive profile". Archived from the original on 1 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  28. "A polo-nial queen's sport". 15 March 2016.
  29. "Asharaje Gaekwad hosts HVR Baroda Cup Polo tournament at the Jaipur Polo Grounds in Delhi - Times of India". The Times of India.
  30. "Weaving Ties with Ikat". The New Indian Express.
  31. "राजनीति का ककहरा सीख रही हैं राजीव प्रताप रूडी की बेटी". www.livehindustan.com.
  32. "सियासत में कदम रखने को तैयार भाजपा के दिग्गज नेता की बेटी, जान लीजिए नाम". /www.amarujala.com.
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