Shyam Rajak

Shyam Rajak is an Indian Leader from Janata Dal (United), previously serving as the Cabinet Minister for Industries in the Government of Bihar under Nitish Kumar. He has previously served as Minister for Food and Consumer Protection from 2010-2015 in the JD(U) Government.^[1] He has also served as Minister of State for Energy, Public Relations Department and Law in Bihar government in the RJD rule under Rabri Devi.^[2][3] He is whip^[4] for main opposition party in Bihar legislative Assembly .

Shyam Rajak
Cabinet Minister for Industries, Government of Bihar
In office 2019-2020
Preceded by	Jai Kumar Singh
Succeeded by	Renu Devi
Member Of Bihar Legislative Assembly
In office 1995-2020
Preceded by	Sanjeev Prasad Tony
Succeeded by	Gopal Ravidas
Constituency	Phulwari
Minister of Food & Consumer Protection, Government of Bihar
In office 2010-2015
Preceded by	Narendra Singh
Succeeded by	Madan Sahni
Personal details
Born	(1954-07-22) 22 July 1954 (age 71)
Political party	JDU (2009-2020); (September 2024-Present)
Other political affiliations	RJD (Until 2009; 2020-August 2024)
Spouse	Alka Verma
Residence(s)	Bihar, Patna

Early life and education

Shyam Rajak was born on 22 July 1954 .^[5] He hails from the Sabjibagh area of Patna and completed his Bachelor’s degree in Commerce.^[5] His marriage to film maker Vikash Verma's sister Alka Verma, from Mumbai, was a love marriage that faced initial familial resistance due to caste and social norms; the couple had to work through these challenges over seven years before officially tying the knot.^[6]

Political career

Early political engagement

Rajak began his political journey through student activism and was actively involved in the JP (Jayaprakash Narayan) movement of 1974.^[7]

Legislative tenure

He was first elected as MLA from the Phulwari Sharif constituency (a reserved Dalit seat) in 1995, representing RJD.^[7] Rajak went on to secure reelection in 2000, February 2005, and November 2005.^[8]

Ministerial roles

Under the RJD government led by Rabri Devi, Rajak served as Minister of State for Energy, Public Relations, and Law.^[9] He later switched allegiance to JD(U) in 2009 and within the Nitish Kumar-led government (2010–2015), he held the portfolio of Minister for Food and Consumer Protection.^[10][11] Thereafter, he served as Cabinet Minister for Industries from 2019 to 2020.^[12] Additionally, in February 2016 he was appointed Deputy Leader of the House in the Bihar Legislative Assembly.^[13]

Social engagement

Rajak has also held the position of National President of the Akhil Bharatiya Dhobi Mahasangh, reflecting his continued engagement with his community and social issues.^[14]