Rana Randhir Singh from Madhuban (Motihari) is the new Cooperation Minister of Bihar under the JDU-BJP dispensation. Randhir, whom many say is related to Union Minister Radha Mohan Singh, is also the youngest face of the Cabinet.
A first timer Randhir took oath on Saturday evening when Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expanded his cabinet with twenty-seven ministers from JD(U), BJP and LJP taking the oath.
Few know about Rana Randhir much, though his father Sitaram Singh was a well-known politician. An engineering graduate from BIT Mesra Randhir is young and dynamic. His young age (39) will have the beneficial effect on the cooperative movement of the state, say Bihar cooperators.
Sheohar district PACS Chairman Suresh Prasad was one of the firsts to extend congratulations to the newly appointed Minister Randhir. Indian Cooperative’s efforts to contact the Minister proved futile as his phone was constantly out of reach.
Randhir’s father Sitaram Singh was a member of the 14th Lok Sabha. He represented the Sheohar constituency of Bihar and served as state minister with independent charge in Bihar from 1990-1995 and again as a cabinet minister from 1995-2004. He has represented the Madhuban Assembly seat for four consecutive terms from 1985-2004.
Nitish’s new cabinet is comparatively young with 17 out of 27 ministers below 60 years of age. Eight ministers are below 50 years of age. Rana Randheer is the youngest minister.
Senior BJP leaders Nand Kishore Yadav, Prem Kumar and Vinod Narayan Jha also took oath as cabinet ministers. Pashupati Nath Paras, the brother of union minister Ramvilas Paswan, was inducted from LJP.
(Watch the columns to read his interview soon)