Jharkhand Minister Sudivya Kumar dies; departed is close aide of Hemant Soren

RANCHI: Sudivya Kumar (56), Jharkhand’s Minister for Tourism and Urban Development and a leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), passed away Sunday early morning. He was admitted to a private hospital in Ranchi after expressing discomfort last night.

Sudivya Kumar was an MLA from the Giridih Assembly constituency. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath and others expressed condolences on his death. Chief Minister Hemant Soren wrote on X that Sudivya Kumar was like an elder brother to him and had stood by him during all difficult phases. He also recalled Sudivya Kumar’s close association with the movement for the formation of Jharkhand. The chief minister said that Sudivya Kumar was a strong JMM worker who had dedicated his life to the struggle for the state’s identity, rights and pride.

The JMM said that his death was an irreparable loss to the party, the government and the state. Sudivya Kumar was first elected to the Assembly from Giridih in 2019. A close aide of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, he played a crucial role in the organisational activities of the party. He also played an important role in coordinating party affairs during a critical period when the JMM faced a political crisis following Hemant Soren’s arrest in 2024 in connection with a land-related corruption case and a money-laundering case.