Giriraj Singh

{{Infobox officeholder

| image = Giriraj Singh addressing a press conference on the achievements of the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, during the last four years, in New Delhi (cropped).JPG

| image_size = 220px

| caption = Singh in 2018

| alt = Giriraj Singh

| office = 21st Union Minister of Textiles
Government of India

| termstart = 11 June 2024

| 1blankname = Prime Minister

| 1namedata = Narendra Modi

| predecessor = Piyush Goyal

| office1 = Union Minister of Rural Development
Government of India

| predecessor1 = Narendra Singh Tomar

| successor1 = Shivraj Singh Chouhan

| term1 = 7 July 2021 – 9 June 2024

| primeminister1 = Narendra Modi

| office2 = Union Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries
Government of India

| predecessor2 = office established

| primeminister2 = Narendra Modi

| term_start2 = 30 May 2019

| term_end2 = 7 July 2021

| successor2 = Parshottam Rupala

| office3 = Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

| primeminister3 = Narendra Modi

| predecessor3 = Kalraj Mishra

| successor3 = Nitin Gadkari

| term_start3 = 3 September 2017

| term_end3 = 30 May 2019

| office4 = Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

| primeminister4 = Narendra Modi

| minister4 = Kalraj Mishra

| alongside4 = Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary (from 5 July 2016)

| term_start4 = 9 November 2014

| term_end4 = 3 September 2017

| office5 = Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha

| term_start5 = 23 May 2019

| term_end5 =

| constituency5 = Begusarai, Bihar

| predecessor5 = Bhola Singh

| term_start6 = 16 May 2014

| term_end6 = 23 May 2019

| constituency6 = Nawada, Bihar

| predecessor6 = Bhola Singh

| successor6 = Chandan Singh

| office7 = Minister of Animal Husbandry & Fisheries, Government of Bihar

| term_start7 = 26 November 2010

| term_end7 = 16 June 2013

| 1blankname7 = Chief Minister

| 1namedata7 = Nitish Kumar

| predecessor7 = Ramnarayan Mandal

| office8 = Minister of Cooperatives, Government of Bihar

| term_start8 = 18 April 2008

| term_end8 = 26 November 2010

| 1blankname8 = Chief Minister

| 1namedata8 = Nitish Kumar

| predecessor8 = Ramji Das Rishidev

| successor8 = Ramadhar Singh

| office9 = Member of Bihar Legislative Council

| term_start9 = 7 May 2002

| term_end9 = 6 May 2014

| constituency9 = elected by Legislative Assembly members

| party = Bharatiya Janata Party

| birth_name = Shandilya Giriraj Singh

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|09|08|df=y}}

| birth_place = Barahiya, Bihar, India

| residence = New Delhi, Delhi, India

| occupation = Politician

| spouse = Uma Sinha

| children = 1

| alma_mater = Magadh University

| website = {{URL|https://girirajsingh.in}}

}}

Giriraj Singh (born 8 September 1952) is an Indian politician who serving as the 21st Minister of Textiles since 2024. He is the Member of Parliament from the Begusarai Loksabha constituency in 17th and 18th Lok Sabha. He has also formerly served as Minister of Cooperative, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Resources Development in the Government of Bihar.

Personal life

Giriraj Singh was born in Barahiya town in Lakhisarai district of Bihar to Ramavtar Singh and Tara Devi.{{cite web |title=Giriraj Singh |url=https://www.india.gov.in/my-government/indian-parliament/giriraj-singh |website=National Portal of India |publisher=Government of India |access-date=5 October 2019 |quote=Father's Name: Shri Ramavtar Singh Mother's Name: Late Smt. Tara Devi}} He graduated from Magadh University in 1971.{{cite news |title=लोकसभा चुनाव: करोड़पति गिरिराज सिंह पर आधा दर्जन मामले हैं दर्ज |url=https://www.livehindustan.com/national/story-lok-sabha-elections-millionaire-giriraj-singh-half-a-dozen-cases-are-filed-against-2478851.html |work=Hindustan |language=hi |date=7 April 2019 |access-date=28 April 2019}} He is married to Uma Sinha and has a daughter.

Political career

Singh was a member of the Bihar Legislative Council from 2002 to May 2014.{{cite news |title=Shri Giriraj Singh Takes Over As Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/government-press-release/shri-giriraj-singh-takes-over-as-minister-of-state-independent-charge-117090401209_1.html |work=Business Standard |date=5 September 2017 |access-date=9 December 2024}} He served in the government of Bihar as Co-Operative Minister from 2005 to 2010 and as Animal Husbandry minister from 2010 to 2013.{{cite news |title=Giriraj Singh : A dive into his rise to power in politics |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/giriraj-singh-a-dive-into-his-rise-to-power-in-politics-101717946919003.html |work=Hindustan Times |agency=PTI |date=9 June 2024 |access-date=9 December 2024}} He was a member of the Bihar State Bharatiya Janata Party's 16-member state election committee and a State Minister (independent charge) of the "Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises ", MP from Nawada Constituency (2014 Indian General Election).{{cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/State-BJP-forms-16-member-election-panel/articleshow/28658862.cms |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140115121054/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2014-01-11/patna/46089379_1_election-panel-state-bjp-graduate-constituency |url-status=live |archive-date=15 January 2014 |title=State BJP forms 16-member election panel |first=Abhay |last=Singh |work=The Times of India |date=11 January 2014 |access-date=28 January 2014}}{{cite news |title=गिरीराज सिंह ने ली मंत्री पद की शपथ, जानें उनके बारे में अहम बातें |url=https://www.livehindustan.com/national/story-giriraj-singh-sworn-in-as-the-minister-know-important-things-about-him-2553749.html |work=Hindustan |lang=hi |date=30 May 2019 |access-date=9 December 2024}}

In May 2019, he became the cabinet minister of the newly formed Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries after defeating CPI candidate Kanhaiya Kumar in the 2019 Indian general election.{{citation |title=PM Modi allocates portfolios. Full list of new ministers |url=https://www.livemint.com/politics/news/pm-modi-allocates-portfolios-full-list-of-new-ministers-1559288502067.html |work=Live Mint |date=31 May 2019 }}{{cite news |title=BJP's Giriraj Singh Beats Kanhaiya Kumar By 4 Lakh Votes in Begusarai |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/lok-sabha-election-results-bjps-giriraj-singh-beats-kanhaiya-kumar-by-4-lakh-votes-in-begusarai-2042207 |access-date=23 September 2019 |work=NDTV.com |date=24 May 2019}}

In July 2021, he became Minister of Rural Development and Minister of Panchayati Raj in Second Modi ministry after the cabinet reshuffle replacing Narendra Singh Tomar.{{cite news |date=7 July 2021 |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/modi-cabinet-rejig-full-list-of-new-ministers-1825111-2021-07-07 |title=Modi cabinet rejig: Full list of new ministers |work=India Today |access-date=7 July 2021}}

In the Lok Sabha election 2024, Singh has won from Begusarai Lok Sabha constituency for the second time, defeating Awadhesh Kumar Rai by 81.480 votes.{{cite news |title=Begusarai election results 2024 live updates: BJP's Giriraj Singh emerges victorious |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/begusarai-election-results-2024-bihar-begusarai-lok-sabha-elections-poll-result-updates-giriraj-singh-bjp/articleshow/110668642.cms |work=The Times of India |date=4 June 2024 |access-date=9 December 2024}}{{cite magazine |title=Begusarai lok sabha election results 2024: Begusarai Winning Candidates List and Vote Share |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/elections/lok-sabha/bihar/begusarai-constituency-result-4524 |magazine=India Today |access-date=9 December 2024}} Singh took charge as the Minister of Textiles on 11 June.{{cite magazine |title=Giriraj Singh takes charge as Textiles Minister |url=https://www.theweek.in/wire-updates/business/2024/06/11/del49-biz-giriraj-charge.html |magazine=The Week |agency=PTI |date=June 11, 2024 |access-date=10 December 2024}}