Raghubar Das's journey from 'mazdoor' to Chief Minister of Jharkhand

Ranchi: Initiating his political career as an activist of the student movement launched by Loknayak Jaiprakash Narayan in 1976-77 and having worked as a labourer in Tata Steel, Raghubar Das has traversed a long way to take over as the first non-tribal Chief Minister of Jharkhand.

Das joined the BJP as a worker and then gradually rose through the party ranks before getting the first break when he was nominated as party candidate from Jamshedpur (East) in the 1995 Assembly elections.

He went on to win the seat five times. He became a minister for the first time after the creation of Jharkhand in the Babulal Marandi government and got berths in the subsequent two governments led by Arjun Munda before becoming the deputy chief minister in the Shibu Soren-led government in 2009.

He held portfolios of finance, labour and urban development during his stint as cabinet minister. Born to Chaman Ram and Sonwati Devi on May 3, 1955 in Bhalubasa area of Jamsedhpur, he worked as a 'mazdoor' (labourer) at Rolling Mill of Tata Steel.

In his days in the Jamshedpur Co-operative College, Das was an active student union leader.Das joined the student movement launched by Loknayak Jaiprakash Narayan in 1974.

Das, who completed a degree in law after passing out from Jamshedpur Cooperative College as a science graduate, enrolled himself with the Janata Party in 1977 and joined the BJP after its launch three years later.

Impressed by his hard work, the party nominated him as BJP candidate for Jamshedpur (east) Assembly constituency in 1995 and he never looked back, winning every Assembly elections thereafter.

After being elected as the BJP's legislature party leader, Das said a 'mazdoor' becoming CM or PM or President could happen only in the BJP. Das, who held the portfolios of Finance, Labour, Building Construction and Urban Development since Jharkhand's creation on November 15, 2000, twice held the post of party's state unit president.

BJP President Amit Shah appointed him as a vice-president of the party, considering his organisational ability.