Jharkhand higher education minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu dies of cardiac arrest at 56

Jharkhand Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu died following a cardiac arrest in Giridih early Sunday, leaving the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the state government mourning the sudden loss of one of its senior leaders. He was 56. Kumar, a two-term MLA from Giridih, complained of discomfort at his residence late Saturday night and was rushed to a private hospital in the town. Officials said he was admitted around 2.30 am and was declared dead around 4 am.

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JMM mourns loss

Expressing shock over his death, the JMM described Kumar as a dedicated party leader and said his passing was an “irreparable loss” to the organisation, the government and Jharkhand.

State Transport, Revenue and Land Reforms Minister Deepak Birua said Kumar’s health deteriorated suddenly during the night and he was taken to hospital for treatment. Birua described his death as a major loss for the JMM family and offered condolences to his family.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren described Kumar’s death as a personal loss and recalled his contribution to the movement for Jharkhand’s identity, rights and self-respect.

Two-term Giridih MLA

Kumar was elected to the Jharkhand Assembly from Giridih for the first time in 2019 and retained the constituency in the 2024 Assembly elections. Considered a close aide of Soren, he emerged as an important figure within the JMM and was involved in handling difficult political situations confronting the party.

He played a key organisational role during the political crisis surrounding Soren’s arrest in 2024 in connection with an alleged land fraud and money laundering case.

Kumar had remained active in his ministerial responsibilities until shortly before his death. He returned this week from Karnataka, where he had led a Jharkhand government delegation to study ways of improving tourism infrastructure and management in the state. During the visit, the delegation held discussions on cooperation in tourism and forest management and explored partnerships for better operation of tourism properties in Jharkhand.

Kumar is survived by two daughters and a son.