Raghubar Das Biography

About Raghubar Das

Raghubar Das is the incumbent and the tenth Chief Minister (sixth person in the CM's chair) of the state of Jharkhand. He is the first non-tribal chief minister in the state's 14-year history. A five-time legislator from the Jamshedpur East Assembly constituency since 1995 (first in undivided Bihar and then in Jharkhand), Das is considered to be a key member of the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah team.

Early Life of Raghubar Das

Raghubar Das was born on 3 May 1955 in the Teli (A caste engaged in pressing of oil) community in Bhalubasa, Jamshedpur to Chaman Ram (a labourer with a steel firm) and Sonwati Devi. He did his matriculation from Bhalubasa Harijan High School and attained a B.Sc. Degree from Jamshedpur Co-operative College. Das further went on to complete his LLB from the same college. Subsequently, Raghubar Das was employed as a labourer at the Rolling Mills of Tata Steel plant in Jamshedpur.

Raghubar Das is married to Rukmini Devi and the couple is blessed with a son named Lalit Kumar Das.

Political Career of Raghubar Das

Raghubar Das got involved with student politics during his college days in Jamshedpur. He became a part of the 'Total Revolution' movement led by Loknarayan Jayprakash Narayan (JP) against the Emergency (1975) enforced by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He had to face arrest and undergo imprisonment during this phase.

Subsequently after his release from jail when the 'Emergency was lifted, Das joined hand with Janata Party in 1977. Three years later in 1980, the Bharatiya Janata Party came into existence and Das was one of its founding members. Das was a part of the BJP's first Nation Meet in Mumbai in 1980. After some time, Raghubar Das was appointed as the city chief secretary and later as the vice-president of Jamshedpur. He continued to impress the party high command with his commitment and good performance. Das was rewarded with the posts of secretary and then the vice-president of the BJP state unit.

Raghubar Das's political career witnessed a steep rise in 1995. Das was given an opportunity to contest the 1995 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections on the party ticket from his native Jamshedpur East Assembly constituency. He succeeded in the elections and was elected to the legislative Assembly for the first time. Raghubar Das went on to win every subsequent election thereafter. He won the latest 2014 Jharkhand assembly elections from Jamshedpur East. He is the incumbent member of the legislative Assembly and is serving a fifth consecutive term as a legislator.

Raghubar Das was able to get a cabinet ministerial portfolio for the first time in the Babulal Marandi-led state government when the state of Jharkhand was created in 2000. He was chosen to be the BJP chief in the state of Jharkhand in 2004. The BJP managed to win 30 seats in the 2005 Jharkhand state legislative assembly elections and Arjun Munda ascended to the chair of Chief Minister in whose government Raghubar Das was given the charge of the Urban Development Ministry.

His organisational and strategic abilities were held in high regard by the party top brass, so he was chosen to take charge of BJP's campaign in Jharkhand for the 2009 parliamentary elections. The same year, Raghubar Das was appointed as the deputy chief minister of the state in the Shibu Soren government and served the office from December 2009 to May 2010. Das also served as the minister of Finance, Labour and Building Construction during his stint as the cabinet minister.

The year 2014 proved the best year of Raghubar Das' political career. In August 2014, BJP national president Amit Shah appointed Das as the party vice-president. Raghubar Das is considered one of the very few people who have won trust of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. Raghubar Das was by PM Modi's side at most of the election rallies that he addressed in the state while campaigning for BJP.

Ever since the BJP won most number of seats in the 2014 Jharkhand legislative Assembly elections, his name started doing rounds as the possible chief minister of the state. Raghubar Das was eventually chosen as the man to lead the new government in the state and was sworn in as the Jharkhand Chief Minister on 28 December 2014. He became the first non-tribal leader to be appointed as the CM in the state's 14-year history.
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