Rajiv Pratap Rudy

Rajiv Pratap Rudy
Minister of State Government of India
In office 9 November 2014 – 31 August 2017
Prime Minister	Narendra Modi
Ministry	Term
Minister of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (Independent Charge)	9 November 2014 - 31 August 2017
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs	9 November 2014 - 5 July 2016
In office 1 September 2002 – 22 May 2004
Prime Minister	Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Ministry	Term
Minister of Civil Aviation (Independent Charge)	24 May 2003 - 22 May 2004
Minister of Commerce & Industry	1 September 2002 - 24 May 2003
Member of Parliament Lok Sabha
Incumbent
Assumed office 2014
Preceded by	Lalu Prasad yadav
Constituency	Saran
In office 1999–2004
Preceded by	Heera Lal Rai
Succeeded by	Lalu Prasad Yadav
Constituency	Chapra
In office 1996–1998
Preceded by	Lal Babu Rai
Succeeded by	Heera Lal Rai
Constituency	Chapra
Member of Parliament Rajya Sabha
In office 4 July 2008 – 16 May 2014
Preceded by	Jai Narain Prasad Nishad
Succeeded by	Pavan Varma
Constituency	Bihar
Member of Bihar Legislative Assembly
In office 1990–1995
Preceded by	Ram Das Rai
Succeeded by	Ram Das Rai
Constituency	Taraiya
Personal details
Born	(1962-03-30) 30 March 1962 (age 62) Amnour, Saran, Bihar
Political party	Bharatiya Janata Party (1999–present) Bihar People's Party (1995-1999)
Spouse	Neelam Pratap ​ (m. 1991)​
Children	2
Alma mater	Panjab University

Rajiv Pratap Rudy (born 30 March 1962) is an Indian politician from Bihar. He is a four-time Member of Parliament representing Bharatiya Janata Party.^[1] In 2023, he won from Saran (Lok Sabha constituency) in Bihar.^[2] Earlier, he won three times in 1996, 1999 and 2014 from Chapra Assembly Constituency, which later became Saran. He was also an MLA from Taraiya Assembly Constituency representing Janata Dal in 1990. He is also a licensed pilot.^[3]

Early life

Rajiv Pratap Rudy was born to Vishwanath Singh and Prabha Singh on 30 March 1962 in Patna, Bihar.^[4][5] His ancestral village is Amnour, Saran, Bihar.^[6][7][8] Rudy did his schooling from St. Michael's High School, Patna.^[9] Later, he completed his pre-university from DAV College, Chandigarh. He completed his B.A. (Hons.) in Economics at Government College, Chandigarh. Later he also got 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.^[10] He was into student politics at Panjab University at Chandigarh when studying at Government College.^[11]

Personal life

Rudy married Neelam Pratap on 9 March 1991 at the age of 29.^[12][13] They have two daughters.^[14] Elder daughter, Avshreya Rudy (born 1993), is a lawyer and also a polo player.^[15] His younger daughter, Atisha Pratap Singh (born 2000), is a kuchipudi dancer.^{[16][17][18][19]}

Political career

Rudy started his political journey in 1989 as a campaign manager of Harmohan Dhawan, who contested from the Chandigarh Lok Sabha constituency. 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.^[14]

As Member of Parliament

Rudy was elected to the Lok Sabha winning the 1996 Indian General Election in Bihar as a candidate of the BJP from Chapra (Lok Sabha constituency).^[14] He won the 1999 Indian General Election in Bihar and was re–elected for a second term of Lok Sabha on BJP ticket.^[14]

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 in 2001.

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.^[20]

Rudy lost to Lalu Prasad in 2004 General elections in Chapra (Lok Sabha constituency).^[21][22] He was then elected to Rajya Sabha from Bihar in 2010.^[4][23][24] He contested the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections from Saran (Lok Sabha constituency) and defeated former Chief Minister of Bihar, Rabri Devi.^[25][26] 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.^[27]

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.^[28][29]

Controversies

During that tenure as Civil Aviation Minister, Rudy was in controversy of non-payment of his bills at Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Goa, which he had to later pay.^[30] 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.^[31] He submitted his resignation from the cabinet on 31 August 2017 prior to imminent reshuffle on 2 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.^[32] These ambulances were purchased using funds from the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS).^[33] Jan Adhikar Party chief Pappu Yadav raided that community centre run by Rudy.^[34]

References

1. "Bringing out the jazz & blues for July 4 | Delhi News - Times of India". The Times of India. 4 July 2017.
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. The Economic Times (6 June 2024). "Bullish Wins & Bearish Losses: Here are the key contests and results of 2024 Lok Sabha polls". Archived from the original on 27 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
4. "Rudy details for Rajya Sabha June 2010" (PDF).
5. "Rudy profile" (PDF).
6. "Amnour village" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
7. Chowdhury, Kavita (18 April 2014). "Rudy, a Rajput from Amnaur and a trained commercial pilot". Business Standard India.
8. "Rajiv Pratap Rudy Biography - About family, political life, awards won, history". Elections in India. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
9. "Made in Chandigarh: Panjab University groomed me for politics, says MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy". 22 June 2018.
10. "National Portal of India".
11. "JET SET GO". Archived from the original on 1 May 2004.
12. "Leading a full life". The Asian Age.
13. "Rudy archive profile". Archived from the original on 1 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
14. "Member's Web Site". Archived from the original on 13 January 2009.
15. "A polo-nial queen's sport". 15 March 2016.
16. "Asharaje Gaekwad hosts HVR Baroda Cup Polo tournament at the Jaipur Polo Grounds in Delhi - Times of India". The Times of India. 14 November 2015.
17. "Weaving Ties with Ikat". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 29 February 2016.
18. "राजनीति का ककहरा सीख रही हैं राजीव प्रताप रूडी की बेटी". www.livehindustan.com.
19. "सियासत में कदम रखने को तैयार भाजपा के दिग्गज नेता की बेटी, जान लीजिए नाम". /www.amarujala.com.
20. "Pilot-cum-politician Rajiv Pratap Rudy returns to government". The Economic Times. 9 November 2014. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
21. "Election 2004: Laloo Yadav takes on Rajiv Pratap Rudy in Chhapra". India Today. 3 May 2004.
22. "Rajiv Rudy on Chhapra poll". www.rediff.com.
23. "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.
24. "National Office Bearers". Retrieved 24 December 2013.
25. "Saran win". Archived from the original on 27 October 2015.
26. "Rudy defeats Rabri Devi". 14 March 2014.
27. "Cabinet Expansion: Manohar Parrikar gets Defence, Harsh Vardhan transferred from Health to Science Ministry". New Delhi: PTI. 10 November 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
28. "We politicians have betrayed nation: Rajiv Pratap Rudy - Times of India". The Times of India. 18 April 2014.
29. "Lunch with BS: Rajiv Pratap Rudy". Business Standard India. 10 April 2015.
30. "Hotel bill row: BJP defends Rajiv Pratap Rudy, political slugfest kicks off". India Today. 23 February 2004.
31. "Failed By a Screenshot, Rajiv Pratap Rudy Faces Digital Jibes".
32. "In Bihar, Pappu Yadav, BJP MP Trade Words Over Unused Ambulances".
33. "No drivers, says BJP's Rajiv Pratap Rudy after Pappu Yadav targets him for idle ambulance fleet". ThePrint. 8 May 2021.
34. "Rudy to Pappu: Spare drivers for ambulances". The Times of India. 8 May 2021.

External links

• Media related to Rajiv Pratap Rudy at Wikimedia Commons

Lok Sabha
Preceded by Lal Babu Rai	Member of Parliament for Chapra 1996 – 1998	Succeeded by Heera Lal Rai
Preceded by Heera Lal Rai	Member of Parliament for Chapra 1999 – 2004	Succeeded by Lalu Prasad Yadav
Preceded by Lalu Prasad Yadav	Member of Parliament for Saran 2014 – Present	Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Ministry Created	Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 26 May 2014 – 3 September 2017 Minister of State (Independent Charge)	Succeeded by Dharmendra Pradhan

External links

• Media related to Rajiv Pratap Rudy at Wikimedia Commons
• Rajiv Pratap Rudy on Twitter
• Rajiv Pratap Rudy on Facebook