Ranchi: BJP national vice -president Ragubar Das, who has been chosen as Chief Minister has had a long innings in political life starting from his student days, being in the forefront of the JP movement and going to jail during the emergency period.
Das will be the tenth Chief Minister of the state carved out of Bihar 14 years ago. Incidentally, he will be the first non-tribal to hold the post. Born on May 3, 1955 in Jamshedpur, he had his school education at Bhalubasa Harijan. On completion of schooling, he joined and joined Cooperative College and took a Bsc. Degree and an LLB later.
During college life, Das was the convener of ‘Chatra Sangarsh Morcha’ and played a leading role in the movement to establish a University in Jamshedpur.
He also led the youth of the Jamshedpur during the JP movement and was sent to jail where he came into contact with various senior political leaders. He was imprisoned during the Emergency days too.
In 1977, Das became the member of the Janta Party. After the formation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) he participated in its first convention held in Mumbai 1980 and since than he has been a member of the party. In 1995, Das was elected to Bihar assembly from Jamshedpur East for the first time. He was re-elected a second time in 2000. Following the formation of Jharkhand on November 15, 2000 he became a member of the Jharkhand Assembly. Subsequently, he was elected from Jamshedpur East in 2005, 2009 and 2014.
Before the Assembly Elections of 2005, he was made the president of the state unit of the BJP. Under his leadership the party was able to win 30 seats in the assembly. Again he was made the party president before the assembly elections of 2009.
He was also made the labour minister in the first BJP government of Jharkhand. In the other government led by Arjun Munda, he was given the charge of finance, urban development and commer-cial taxes department.
On August 16, 2014 he was made the national vice president of the BJP. (UNI)
