Sanjay Kumar Jha
Sanjay Kumar Jha | |
|---|---|
| File:Sanjay Jha with Nitish Kumar and Lalan Singh (cropped).jpg | |
| Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha | |
| Assumed office 4 April 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Bashistha Narain Singh |
| Constituency | Bihar |
| Member of Bihar Legislative Council | |
| In office 2019–2024 | |
| In office 2006–2012 | |
| Cabinet Minister Government of Bihar | |
| In office 9 February 2021 – 28 January 2024 | |
| Chief Minister | Nitish Kumar |
| Ministry or Departments |
|
| Preceded by | Vijay Kumar Chaudhary |
| Succeeded by | Vijay Kumar Chaudhary |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 December 1967 |
| Party | JD(U) (2012 - present) |
| Other political affiliations | BJP (till 2012)[1] |
| Spouse | Enakshi Jha |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Patna |
| Alma mater | Jawaharlal Nehru University (M.A) |
| Profession | Politician |
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Sanjay Kumar Jha (commonly known as Sanjay Jha; born 1 December 1967) is an Indian politician from Janata Dal (United). He currently serves as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, representing Bihar, and holds the position of National Working President of the JD(U).[2] He is also the leader of the JD(U) parliamentary party in the Rajya Sabha and chairs the Parliamentary Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture.[3] Previously, Jha served as the Minister for Water Resources as well as Information and Public Relations in the Government of Bihar as a Member of the Bihar Legislative Council.[4][5] In February 2024, he was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha, succeeding Bashistha Narain Singh.[6][7]
Personal life
[edit | edit source]Sanjay Jha was born on 1 December 1967 in Araria Sangram village, located in the Jhanjharpur block of Madhubani district, Bihar. He holds a postgraduate degree from the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). He is married to Enakshi Jha, and the couple has three children.
Political life
[edit | edit source]Early association with BJP (2004–2012)
[edit | edit source]Jha entered active politics in the mid-2000s through the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He was known to be close to senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley and played a backchannel role during the BJP–JD(U) alliance in Bihar. In 2006, he was elected to the Bihar Legislative Council as a BJP member and remained in office until 2012.[8][9]
In 2009, he sought a BJP ticket to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Darbhanga, but the party denied him a nomination. Following this, Jha moved closer to JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. He formally joined the Janata Dal (United) in July 2012.[10]
Janta Dal (United) (2012–present)
[edit | edit source]After joining JD(U), Jha quickly became one of Nitish Kumar’s trusted aides. He contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Darbhanga on a JD(U) ticket but lost. He was re-elected to the Bihar Legislative Council in 2019 as a JD(U) representative.[11]
In June 2019, Jha was appointed as Cabinet Minister in Bihar, overseeing the portfolios of Water Resources and Information & Public Relations. He continued in these roles until January 2024, when JD(U) exited the Grand Alliance coalition. During his tenure, he oversaw several significant initiatives, including - The Ganga Water Supply Scheme, The construction of a rubber dam on the Phalgu River in Gaya and The development of Mithila Haat and other cultural promotion projects.[12][13]
References
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