Veteran BJP Leader Sushil Kumar Modi Passes Away at 72

Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and prominent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushil Kumar Modi passed away on Monday evening at the age of 72 after a seven-month battle with cancer. He died at AIIMS Hospital in Delhi, where he was undergoing treatment. Last month, Modi had publicly announced his illness and stepped back from active participation in the Lok Sabha election campaign.

In a heartfelt post on X last month, Sushil Modi shared his health struggles, stating, “I have been battling with cancer for the last six months. I feel that now the time has come to make it public. I would not be able to do my work during the Lok Sabha polls. I have shared this with the PM. My gratitude to the country, Bihar and my party.”

Having served in multiple capacities over his three-decade-long political career, including as an MLA, MLC, and member of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Modi was a pivotal figure in Bihar’s political landscape. He was first elected as an MLA in 1990 and later served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar alongside Nitish Kumar from 2005 to 2013 and again from 2017 to 2020.

Leaders from across the political spectrum, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have expressed their condolences. The Prime Minister remarked, “I am deeply saddened by the untimely demise of Sushil Modi ji, my valuable colleague in the party and my friend for decades. He has played an invaluable role in the rise and success of BJP in Bihar… My condolences are with his family and supporters in this hour of grief. Om Shanti!”

The last rites of the former Rajya Sabha MP are scheduled to be performed later in the day.