Giriraj Singh’s rise to power marked by series of high-stakes political maneuvers

Patna: Senior Bihar BJP MP Giriraj Singh, known for his fiery rhetoric and controversial remarks, has consistently stirred the pot with his unabashed Hindutva stance.

A Bhumihar by caste, Singh has clinched the Begusarai Lok Sabha seat for the second consecutive term, solidifying his dominance in the region. He was sworn in as a minister in the Narendra Modi government on Sunday.

His political journey, however, has been anything but smooth.

In 2014, Singh made his grand entry into the Lok Sabha by winning the Nawada seat, but the 2019 elections brought an unexpected twist.

Reluctantly uprooted from Nawada, Singh was handed a ticket for Begusarai—a move that initially left him fuming. Yet, in a dramatic turn of events, he emerged victorious, crushing his opponent, CPI's Kanhaiya Kumar, with a staggering margin.

The election campaign was a battlefield of ideologies, with Singh fervently fighting against what he termed the "tukde-tukde gang," while his opponent zeroed in on alleged BJP attempts to amend the Constitution.

Singh’s rise to power has been marked by a series of high-stakes political maneuvers.

During Modi’s first term, he served on the Standing Committee on Labour and the Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament, laying the groundwork for his future roles.

The first major shake-up came in November 2014 with the expansion of the Modi cabinet, where Singh was appointed Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises. His influence grew in 2017 when he was elevated to Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the same ministry.

May 2019 saw another dramatic elevation as Singh was appointed Cabinet Minister of the newly formed Union Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying, and Fisheries. The twists didn't stop there. In July 2021, a cabinet reshuffle saw Singh taking the helm as Union Minister of Rural Development, replacing Narendra Singh Tomar—a move that underscored his rising prominence within the party.

Before his ascent to the central government, Singh made waves in the Bihar government, serving as Co-Operative Minister from 2005 to 2010 and as Animal Husbandry Minister from 2010 to 2013. Each role he undertook added a new chapter to his tumultuous and riveting political saga, solidifying his reputation as a fearless and unyielding leader in Bihar politics.