Gandhinagar: Parimal Nathwani has been elected to the Rajya Sabha for a fourth term, representing the state of Jharkhand. Nathwani previously served two consecutive terms as an Independent MP from Jharkhand between 2008 and 2020 and holds the record of being the longest-serving Independent Member of Parliament in the history of the Rajya Sabha.
Following a tenure representing Andhra Pradesh starting in 2020, his re-election from Jharkhand marks a momentous return to the state he has long cherished and publicly declared as his 'karmabhoomi' (land of duty), a statement said on Thursday.
Nathwani expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, BJP national president Nitin Nabin and BJP leaders of Jharkhand for their support in securing his victory from the state.
“Having spent more than a decade here, Jharkhand is not new to me. It is my karmabhoomi. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve its people once again in the Rajya Sabha. Moving forward, my primary focus will be heavily directed towards rural areas, where we aim to focus on robust skill development programmes. Developing rural infrastructure, healthcare facilities and education in rural areas will be my focus areas,” Nathwani said.
The statement said that during his previous two terms, Nathwani set a benchmark for parliamentary accountability and social development by blending his Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) allocations with contributions from his personal funds to execute projects. His single largest contribution to the state was the Rs 15 crore he gave from his MP funds as well as from his personal funds for setting up a seminar hall with a seating capacity of 600 people for IIM-Ranchi, the statement added.
