RANCHI, Sept. 7 -- The death of state higher education and urban development minister Sudivya Kumar, popularly known as Sonu, has left a deep void in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), with several party leaders describing the development as the loss of a 'think tank' and a close advisor to party chief Hemant Soren.

Widely popular for his articulate remarks both inside and outside the Assembly, Kumar had risen through the party ranks over the past three decades, before becoming a minister in the Hemant Soren government after it was sworn in for the second consecutive term in 2024.

"Kumar contested and lost three elections before he was first elected to the Jharkhand Assembly from Giridih in 2019. Even before he became an MLA, he closely ...