Rajiv Pratap Rudy

Template:Short description {{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B= Template:Ambox }} Template:Use Indian English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox officeholder 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2024, he won from Saran (Lok Sabha constituency) in Bihar.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="Bullish Wins & Bearish Losses: Here are the key contests and results of 2024 Lok Sabha polls">Template:Cite news</ref>

Early life

Rajiv Pratap Rudy was born to Vishwanath Singh and Prabha Singh on 30 March 1962 in Patna, Bihar.<ref name="rudyamnour">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His ancestral village is Amnour, Saran, Bihar.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Rudy did his schooling from St. Michael's High School, Patna.<ref name="rudypunjab">Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was into student politics at Panjab University at Chandigarh when studying at Government College.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

Rudy married Neelam Pratap on 9 March 1991 at the age of 29.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They have two daughters.<ref name="hp">Template:Cite web</ref> Elder daughter, Avshreya Rudy (born 1993), is a lawyer and also a polo player.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His younger daughter, Atisha Pratap Singh (born 2000), is a kuchipudi dancer.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref> Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref name="hp" />

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).<ref name="hp" /> He won the 1999 Indian General Election in Bihar and was re–elected for a second term of Lok Sabha on BJP ticket.<ref name="hp" />

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Rudy lost to Lalu Prasad in 2004 General elections in Chapra (Lok Sabha constituency).<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was then elected to Rajya Sabha from Bihar in 2010.<ref name="rudyamnour"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He contested the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections from Saran (Lok Sabha constituency) and defeated former Chief Minister of Bihar, Rabri Devi.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref name="paymentrudy">Template:Cite magazine</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> These ambulances were purchased using funds from the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Jan Adhikar Party chief Pappu Yadav raided that community centre run by Rudy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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