Former Deputy CM of Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi passes away

Former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushil Kumar Modi has passed away.

He was 72 years old and was battling cancer for some time. The stalwart leader, once the BJP's best-known face in Bihar, had opted out of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections also on account of his health. 

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary has paid tribute to him by posting on X.

After the announcement of Lok Sabha elections, Sushil Modi had written on X, “I have been fighting a battle with cancer for the last six months. Now I think people should be told about this. I will not be able to do much in the Lok Sabha elections.”

Sushil Kumar Modi's student politics started in 1971. At that time he was elected a member of the 5-member cabinet of Patna University Association. In 1973 he was elected General Secretary.

But after coming under the influence of JP movement, he left his studies midway by taking admission in Patna University for post graduation. He remained in jail for 19 months during the Emergency. From 1977 to 1986, he held important positions in Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad.

In 1990, Sushil Kumar Modi contested elections from Patna Central Assembly constituency and reached the assembly. He also won the elections of 1995 and 2000 from this seat. In the year 2004, he won the elections from Bhagalpur Lok Sabha constituency.

In 2005, he resigned from Parliament membership and was elected to the Legislative Council. During this period, he continued handling different responsibilities in the party.

Sushil Kumar Modi was one of those who filed a petition in the Patna High Court in 1996 demanding a CBI investigation into the fodder scam.

After the formation of JDU/RJD government in 2015, Lalu family again came under the target of Sushil Modi.

From April 4, 2017, he held 44 consecutive press conferences regarding the benami property of Lalu family.

The result was that the government fell on 26 July 2017. The new government was formed on July 27 in which Sushil Kumar Modi became the Deputy Chief Minister.