Sushil Kumar Modi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sushil Kumar Modi
Modi in 2015
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
In office 7 December 2020 – 2 April 2024
Preceded by	Ram Vilas Paswan
Succeeded by	Dharamsheila Gupta
Constituency	Bihar
4th Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar
In office 27 July 2017 – 16 November 2020
Chief Minister	Nitish Kumar
Preceded by	Tejashwi Yadav
Succeeded by	Renu Devi, Tarkishore Prasad
In office 24 November 2005 – 16 June 2013
Chief Minister	Nitish Kumar
Preceded by	Karpoori Thakur
Succeeded by	Tejashwi Yadav
Minister of Finance Government of Bihar
In office 27 July 2017 – 16 November 2020
Chief Minister	Nitish Kumar
Preceded by	Abdul Bari Siddiqui
Succeeded by	Tarkishore Prasad
In office 24 November 2005 – 16 June 2013
Chief Minister	Nitish Kumar
Preceded by	Rabri Devi
Succeeded by	Nitish Kumar
Leader of the Opposition Bihar Legislative Council
In office 19 June 2013 – 27 July 2017
Chief Minister	Nitish Kumar
Preceded by	Ghulam Ghaus
Succeeded by	Rabri Devi
Member of Bihar Legislative Council
In office 7 May 2006 – 11 December 2020
Appointed by	Members of Legislative Assembly
Succeeded by	Shahnawaz Hussain
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office 2004–2005
Preceded by	Subodh Ray
Succeeded by	Syed Shahnawaz Hussain
Constituency	Bhagalpur
Leader of the Opposition Bihar Legislative Assembly
In office 19 March 1996 – 28 March 2004
Chief Minister	Lalu Prasad Yadav Rabri Devi
Preceded by	Yashwant Sinha
Succeeded by	Upendra Kushwaha
Member of Bihar Legislative Assembly
In office 1990–2004
Preceded by	Aquil Haider
Succeeded by	Arun Kumar Sinha
Constituency	Patna Central
Personal details
Born	(1952-01-05)5 January 1952 Patna, Bihar, India
Died	13 May 2024(2024-05-13) (aged 72) Patna, Bihar, India
Political party	Bharatiya Janata Party
Spouse	Jessie George ​ (m. 1986)​
Children	2
Residences	Patna, Bihar, India
Alma mater	Patna University

Sushil Kumar Modi (5 January 1952 – 13 May 2024) was an important Indian politician. He was a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He served as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha (one of India's two main legislative bodies) for the state of Bihar.

Mr. Modi also held key positions in Bihar. He was the Deputy Chief Minister and the Finance Minister of Bihar for many years. He was a lifelong member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a large Indian organization. In 2011, he became the head of a special committee. This committee worked on putting the Goods and Service Tax (GST) into action across India.

Early Life and Education

Sushil Modi was born on January 5, 1952. His parents were Moti Lal Modi and Ratna Devi. He studied at Patna Science College. In 1973, he earned a degree in Botany. He started a master's degree at Patna University. However, he left his studies to join a big social movement. This movement was led by Jai Prakash Narayan.

On August 13, 1986, Modi married Jessie George. She was a Christian from Mumbai. They met while studying and fell in love. His wife was a college professor. They had two sons named Utkarsh Tathagat and Akshay Amritanshu.

Starting His Political Journey

Sushil Modi began his political journey as a student. He was active at Patna University. In 1973, he became the General-Secretary of the Patna University Students' Union. At that time, Lalu Prasad Yadav, who later became a political rival, was the President. In 1974, Modi joined the Bihar Student's Movement. This movement was very famous.

Modi was arrested five times during the JP Movement and a period called "The Emergency." He challenged a law called the MISA Act in India's highest court. This led to a part of the law being removed. He was in jail for 19 months during The Emergency.

After The Emergency, Modi became the State Secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). From 1977 to 1986, he held many leadership roles in the ABVP. He led a movement against making Urdu the second language in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. He also raised concerns about people illegally moving from Bangladesh into Bihar. He then led a movement against this issue in Bihar.

Key Political Roles

Sushil Modi speaking at a rally in Nayagaon, Sonpur in 2015

In 1990, Sushil Modi entered active politics. He won the election from the Patna Central Assembly area. He was re-elected in 1995 and 2000. In 1990, he became the Chief Whip for the BJP in the Bihar Legislature. From 1996 to 2004, he was the Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly. This means he led the main party that was not in power.

He also filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Patna High Court against Lalu Prasad Yadav. This case later became widely known. In 2004, he became a member of the Lok Sabha (the other main legislative body) for the Bhagalpur area.

In 2000, Modi was the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs in a short-lived government led by Nitish Kumar. He supported the creation of the new state of Jharkhand.

In the 2005 Bihar election, the NDA party group won. Modi was chosen as the leader of the Bihar BJP Legislature Party. He then left his Lok Sabha seat. He became the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar. He was also given charge of the Finance Department and other areas. After the NDA won again in the 2010 Bihar elections, he continued as Deputy Chief Minister. Modi did not run in the 2005 and 2010 Bihar Assembly elections. This allowed him to focus on campaigning for the BJP.

Sushil Modi with Narendra Modi and Rajnath Singh at Hunkar Rally

In 2017, Sushil Modi played a big part in the change of government in Bihar. He strongly criticized Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family. He accused them of financial wrongdoings for several months.

Sushil Kumar Modi was Nitish Kumar’s Deputy Chief Minister for 11 years. People in Bihar politics often called them the Ram-Laxman ki jodi. This means a very close and supportive pair.

On December 8, 2020, he was elected without opposition to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar. This filled a seat that became empty after Ram Vilas Paswan passed away. He became one of the few Indian leaders to have been a member of both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha.

Illness and Passing

On April 3, 2024, Sushil Modi shared that he had been diagnosed with cancer six months earlier. He announced that he would not take part in the BJP’s election campaign for 2024. He passed away on May 13, 2024, at the age of 72, after a long fight with cancer. Narendra Modi said that Sushil Modi "played an invaluable role in the rise and success of BJP in Bihar."

Positions Held

Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar & Convener of the GoM, Shri Sushil Kumar Modi addressing a press conference after the 7th Meeting of the Group of Ministers on IT (GoM on IT) for GST Implementation, in New Delhi

Images for kids

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  Sushil Modi performs Yoga on the 4th International Day of Yoga 2018 with Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Ram Kripal Yadav.

See also

• List of finance ministers of Bihar
• List of deputy chief ministers of Bihar
• List of politicians from Bihar