Former union minister Raghunath Jha dead
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Former Union Minister Raghunath Jha died yesterday due to a kidney ailment. He was 78. Jha was the minister of state for heavy industries and public enterprise during Manmohan Singh's regime. Interestingly, the RJD leader had also been members of Congress, Socialist Party and Samajwadi Party. Jha's name had recently emerged as one of the partymen who donated land to RJD chief Lalu Prasad.
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A brief look at Jha's political career
Jha was a two-time MP from from Gopalgunj and Bettiah and six-time legislator from Sheohar. He was one of the leading CM candidates in Bihar in 1990, but Lalu Prasad managed to form government. Jha's son Ajit was an MLA from Sheohar too.
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Last rites to be conducted at Jha's village
The body of Jha, who died at Delhi's Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, will reach Patna this afternoon. The last rites will be performed at his village in Sheohar. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar as well as RJD leaders Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav expressed condolences. "For us demise of Raghunath Chacha (uncle) is irreparable...we express our deepest condolences," Tejashwi said.