Ranchi: Parimal Nathwani has been elected to the Rajya Sabha for a fourth term representing the state of Jharkhand. It should be noted that there were three candidates in the fray for two Rajya Sabha seats in the state.

Nathwani, who previously served two consecutive terms as an Independent MP from Jharkhand between 2008 and 2020, holds the distinct 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 work).

He expressed his gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, National BJP President Nitin Nabin, Jharkhand BJP President Aditya Sahu, Leader of BJP in Jharkhand Assembly Babulal Marandi, Chief Whip of BJP Navin Jaiswal along with all the MLAs of BJP and NDA allies for their support in securing his victory.

Speaking on his vision and future roadmap for the state, Parimal Nathwani said: “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 toward rural areas, where we aim to focus on robust skill development programmes and revitalising the cottage industry to create sustainable livelihood opportunities right at the grassroots level. Developing rural infrastructure, healthcare facilities and education in rural areas will be my focus areas.”

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 extensive contributions from his personal funds to execute projects from the ground up. He utilized the funds of Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) to almost 100 per cent for Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) for rural development, infrastructure, education, health and sanitation. The three model village panchayats Baram-Jaratoli, Chuttu and Barwadag adopted by him under SAGY and development work done there has been not only the talk of the town, but also worth emulating. 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 state-of-the-art seminar hall with a seating capacity of 600 people for IIM-Ranchi.

He rebuilt the dilapidated Ranchi Municipal Corporation hospital on Ratu Road with an investment of ₹1.07 crore from his personal fund, established health sub-centres, and donated multiple ambulances across the state. He also built a three-story ‘Model School’ in Baram, a library building for the tribal hostel in Karamtoli, and set up free computer skill centres for rural youth. Under the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, he installed deep-boring drinking water schemes, constructed multiple paved (PCC) roads, set up a solar power plant, and distributed solar lamps to rural households. He extensively beautified and restored sacred tribal religious sites including Sarna Sthals, Masnas and Madai Sthals, while building stadiums, sports galleries, and community parks to empower the local youth.

Beyond his extensive developmental work, Nathwani has been one of the most proactive and vocal representatives for Jharkhand in Parliament. Across his tenure, he has raised more than 1,200 questions in the Rajya Sabha, aggressively championing critical regional and national matters such as various issues related to rural development, drought management, rural malnutrition, infrastructure delays, judicial vacancies, modernisation of universities and education institutions.

With his election to a third term from Jharkhand, the state secures a powerful, development-driven voice in the Parliament capable of driving both corporate investment and targeted public welfare and development initiatives. DeshGujarat