A leader who served as the former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar for over a decade and bolstered the NDA alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state, Sushil Kumar Modi, died on Monday evening after battling cancer for months. As the Deputy to CM Nitish Kumar, they earned the monicker of "Ram-Lakshman ki Jodi". However, tensions arose between the duo after the CM defected to Lalu Prasad Yadav's bloc, leading to verbal spats on several occasions.
Here's a look at the political journey of Sushil Kumar Modi.
Sushil Kumar Modi, born on January 5, 1952, was a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from Bihar. He served as the Finance Minister of Bihar from 2005 to 2013 and again from 2017 to 2020, alongside his tenure as Deputy Chief Minister of the state. A lifelong member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Modi was instrumental in various political and legislative roles.
His political journey started as a student activist at Patna University, where he demonstrated leadership as the General Secretary of Patna University Students' Union in 1973. Modi, alike many of his colleagues of the same times, was also associated with Jayprakash Narayan's movement. He had also taken an active part in challenging the MISA Act and was actively engaged during the Emergency period.
Transitioning into active politics in 1990, Modi embarked on his career by winning Patna Central Constituency. He furthered his impact as a leader of the BJP in Bihar, serving as the Chief Whip of the BJP Bihar Legislature Party and later as the leader of the opposition in the State Assembly.
Modi has also represented the Bhagalpur constituency in the Lok Sabha in 2004. Known widely for his strategic acumen, he played a crucial role in various NDA government formations in Bihar, and the creation of the state of Jharkhand.
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The 'Ram-Lakshman' Split
In 2017, Modi emerged as a key figure in the dissolution of the JDU-RJD 'Mahagathbandhan' (Grand Alliance) government in Bihar, challenging RJD chief Lalu Prasad over alleged financial irregularities and corruption charges.
In 2017, Nitish Kumar had returned to NDA and contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and 2020 Bihar elections as part of the BJP-led grouping.
His alliance with Nitish Kumar had earned them the monicker "Ram-Lakshman ki Jodi". However, tensions arose between the duo after the CM defected to Lalu Prasad Yadav's bloc again, leading to verbal spats on several occasions.
On December 8, 2020, Modi was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar.
Earlier last month, Modi revealed that he had been battling cancer and would not be taking part in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.
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