Shri Subodh Kant Sahay (born 11 June 1951) is an Indian politician. He served as three term
MP (Lok sabha) of
India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
. He represented the
Ranchi
Ranchi (, ) is the capital of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Ranchi was the centre of the Jharkhand movement, which called for a separate state for the tribal regions of South Bihar, northern Odisha, western West Bengal and the eastern area ...
constituency of
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . ...
and is a member of the
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British ...
(INC) political party. He had been holding important portfolios. He was the Cabinet Minister for
Tourism until 28 OCT 2012. He is referred as one of the closest to former Prime Minister Dr.
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh (; born 26 September 1932) is an Indian politician, economist and statesman who served as the 13th prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He is also the third longest-serving prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indi ...
and former UPA Chairperson Smt.
Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi (''née'' Maino; born 9 December 1946) is an Indian politician. She is the longest serving president of the Indian National Congress, a social democratic political party, which has governed India for most of its post-independe ...
. According to sources,
Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi (''née'' Maino; born 9 December 1946) is an Indian politician. She is the longest serving president of the Indian National Congress, a social democratic political party, which has governed India for most of its post-independe ...
knew him for his truth and hard work. He was the Minister for
Home
A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it ...
in
V.P. Singh government.
Sahay was asked to resign in 2012 from his ministerial post by
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh (; born 26 September 1932) is an Indian politician, economist and statesman who served as the 13th prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He is also the third longest-serving prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indi ...
in light of favouring his brother in allocation of coal mine blocks in the infamous Coal Scam.
Early life
Shri Subodh Kant Sahay was born in a religious
Chitraguptvanshi Kayastha family in
Latehar,(
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . ...
) to Shri. Brijdeo Sahay and Smt. Indrani Devi. He did his B.Sc., LL.B. from
A N College, Patna and
Ranchi University
Ranchi University is a public state university in Ranchi, Jharkhand, India. It was established in 1960 by an Act of the Bihar legislature. Ranchi University offers degrees in undergraduate, post-graduate, M.Phil. and doctorate programs.
History
...
.He involved in social and welfare activities since student days and organised several National and State Level programmes for mobilisation of youth, working for the upliftment of the downtrodden, deprived and minority communities.
Political career
Subodh Kant Sahay was actively involved in the Non-Aligned Student and Youth Organisation (NASYO). He participated in Jai Prakash Movement of 70s and was groomed under the tutelage of Janta party stalwarts like Chandrashekhar Singh, Satyendra Narain Sinha & Thakur Prasad. Upon behest of Bihar Janta party President Sinha he was placed as a candidate from Hatia, a seat he won and made his electoral debut in assembly. He was Member of Preparatory Committee, World Youth Festival; General Secretary, (i) Yuva Janata for three years; (ii) Janata Party for two years; (iii) Janata Dal for 6 months; Working President Yuva Janta for two years; President Yuva Janata for three years. He start his political career from Hatia, Ranchi.
He had been re-elected as the MP from Ranchi again in the elections in May 2009. Congress had managed to win only one seat from Ranchi out of 14 seats and only 3 seats from Bihar out of 40 seats. Sahay served as Minister Of State (Independent Charge) for Food Processing Industries in the
First Manmohan Singh Cabinet from 2004 to 2009. On the second Congress victory in the 2009 elections which saw
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh (; born 26 September 1932) is an Indian politician, economist and statesman who served as the 13th prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He is also the third longest-serving prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indi ...
continue as
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
, Sahay was elevated to
Cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
rank holding the same Food Processing Industries portfolio.
During the ministry shuffle in January 2011 he was given
Cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
Minister for
Ministry of Tourism (India)
The Ministry of Tourism, a branch of the Government of India, is the apex body for formulation and administration of the rules, regulations and laws relating to the development and promotion of tourism in India. It facilitates the Indian departm ...
.
Personal life
Subodh Kant Sahay is married to Rekha Sahay, who is a famous theatre personality. They have a daughter named Yashaswini Sahay.
Position held
* 1978-1989 Speaker,
Bihar Legislative Assembly
The Bihar Legislative Assembly, also known as the Bihar Vidhan Sabha, is the lower house of the Bihar Legislature where the first elections were held in 1952.
The total strength of membership in the Assembly was 331, including one nominated ...
(three terms)
* President, Public Accounts Committee, Bihar Legislative Assembly (four years)
* President, Committee of Privileges, Bihar Legislative Assembly (two years)
* Vice President, Library Committee, Bihar Legislative Assembly (four years)
* 1989 Elected to 9th Lok Sabha
* President, Committee on Petitions, Bihar Legislative Assembly (three years)
* April 1990 - November 1990 Union Minister, Home Affairs, Govt. of India
* November 1990 - June 1991 Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Information & Broadcasting & Home Affairs, Govt. of India
* 2004 Re-elected to 14th Lok Sabha (2nd term)
* 2004 Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Food & Food Processing Industries
* 2006 Cabinet Minister, Food Processing
* 2011 Cabinet Minister,
Ministry of Tourism (India)
The Ministry of Tourism, a branch of the Government of India, is the apex body for formulation and administration of the rules, regulations and laws relating to the development and promotion of tourism in India. It facilitates the Indian departm ...
* 2011 to 28 Oct 2012: Union Minister for Tourism.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sahay, Subodh Kant
1951 births
Indian National Congress politicians
Janata Dal politicians
Living people
People from Latehar district
India MPs 2004–2009
Union ministers of state of India with independent charge
V. P. Singh administration
India MPs 1989–1991
India MPs 2009–2014
Lok Sabha members from Jharkhand
Tourism ministers of India
Coal block allocation scam
Politicians from Ranchi