The sudden demise of Jharkhand Minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu has shed light on a tragic pattern in the state’s political history, with three JMM ministers connected to the education portfolio passing away over the last three years. The three ministers, identified as Jagarnath Mahto, Ramdas Soren and Sudivya Kumar Soren, died between 2023 and 2026. Even as the death of the three ministers occurred in different circumstances, it has led to a disruption in the political organisation of the education system of the state.
Jagarnath Mahto Was Fighting Against COVID-19
The then Education Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader had died on April 6, 2023, aged 56. The Jharkhand minister was popularly known as Tiger Mahto. He had been elected MLA from the Dumri assembly seat four times in a row and was considered a prominent leader of the JMM. He had suffered severe lung damage after he was infected with COVID-19 in 2020. He underwent a double-lung transplant in Chennai and returned to public life after a prolonged recovery.
His health deteriorated again in 2023, and he was taken to Chennai for treatment. Following this, he died at the Chennai hospital on April 6.
Ramdas Soren Died Of Brain Hamorrhage
Ramdas Soren, who served as the School Education and Literacy Minister from August 30, 2024, to August 15, 2025, until he passed away. The 62-year-old minister died of brain haemorrhage.
Weeks before his demise, Soren suffered a serious head injury after he fell at his residence. He was then shifted to a hospital for treatment. However, his condition gradually deteriorated, and he succumbed to his injuries during the treatment.
Sudivya Kumar Sonu Suffered Sudden cardiac arrest
The latest death reported is of Sudivya Kumar Sonu, who died suddenly after experiencing chest pain and uneasiness at his Giridih residence. He was then shifted to a private hospital, but his condition worsened rapidly, and doctors could not save him.
Sonu held the Higher and Technical Education and Urban Development portfolios and had emerged as a significant figure in the Hemant Soren cabinet. He was regarded as a key trouble-shooter for the Chief Minister and among the more powerful ministers in the government.
He had recently headed the ministerial committee constituted to hold talks with protesting students, making his sudden demise particularly significant at a time when the government was attempting to resolve the prolonged student agitation.
All three JMM leaders played pivotal roles in state politics. Jagarnath Mahto and Ramdas Soren both served as Ministers for School Education and Literacy, while Sudivya Kumar Sonu oversaw Higher and Technical Education. Their consecutive demises represent a major blow to both the party and the Jharkhand government, marking a tragic chapter in the state's political history.
For the Soren government, the deaths represent not merely personal and political losses but the repeated departure of experienced members of the cabinet at crucial stages of its tenure.