KamleshPaswan, Bansgaon(Uttar Pradesh), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP
Age: Turned 34 on August 6 last year

Provenance: When in school, he had always wanted to join the Indian Navy. But the death of his father, a four-time MLA in the Uttar Pradesh assembly, threw him into the tempestu¬ous world of politics. “It was a personal tragedy that brought me into politics. I was barely 18 when my father died. He was very popular in his constituency and he always won elections as an independent candidate. I followed in his footsteps and became an MLA with the primary objective of working on his unfinished agenda,” says Kamlesh Paswan, a transporter by profes¬sion. “But I don’t regret it now. I find politics a dignified pursuit and an effective tool to usher in social transformation.”

Education: A matriculate, he did his schooling from St Paul’s School, Gorakhpur. He is now pursuing his graduation from the Gorakhpur University as a private candidate.

Accomplishments: He was a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly during 2002-07. As an MP, he is currently a member of the Committee on Social Justice and Empow¬erment.

On Agenda: Two major issues on his agenda are to set up industries and provide quality education. Further, Bansgaon is not connected with a rail link. The nearest railway station is Gorakhpur, which is around 50 km from his constituency. It is because of his persistent demand that Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has included Bansgaon in a White Paper on places for future rail connectivity. “Unemployment is also a huge problem, which can be tackled only by setting up professional institutes like polytechnics and engineering colleges,” he says. Bans-gaon is a flood-prone area and there is a lack of irrigation facilities. He succeeded in getting an amount of H90 crore from the Central government to deal with the problem.

He also wants to transform the Dugdheshwarnath temple in his constituency into a tourist spot. His one regret is that there has been little help from the Mayawati-led BSP government in the state. Paswan is peeved with the functioning of the NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), the flagship scheme of the UPA government. “It is a good scheme, but its implementation is riddled with corruption. Similarly, the MPLAD scheme H2 crore annually to MPs for carrying out developmental works in their constituencies) has not functioned well. Regardless, the amount is too small and it is difficult to take up a substantial developmental plan with that kind of money,” he bemoans.

Yuva Opinion: Gentle but determined, articulate and approachable, Paswan has the potential to emerge as a man of the masses.