State Education Minister, Jagarnath Mahto, breathed his last today during treatment at a Chennai hospital. Mahto had undergone lung transplant in Chennai after he tested positive for coronavirus in November 2020.
The news about the death of the 56-year-old leader was confirmed by Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Twitter. Soren called the death of the Senior Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader – “irreparable damage”.
Last month Mahto was airlifted to Chennai after he fell ill during the state budget session. He represented the Dumri assembly seat in Giridih.
Mahoto is survived by four daughters and a son. After the passing away of the leader, the state government declared a two-day mourning period and also cancelled a cabinet meeting that was scheduled for this evening.
Mahto was born on January 1, 1967. He represented the Dumri Assembly constituency as a Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MLA. Mahto was considered a popular and strongman in the region. Though first time in the 2000 assembly election, he lost to Lal Chand Mahto of the Janata Dal United (coalition partner of BJP), thereafter he never looked back. In the last assembly election of 2019, he defeated Yashoda Devi of AJSU (P) by over 36,000 votes.
He became MLA for the first time from the Dumri constituency in Giridih district in the 2005 assembly election defeating Lal Chand Mahto. He also tried his luck in the Lok Sabha election twice but both times he had to face defeat. In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, he contested from Giridih seat and lost to Ravindra Pandey of the BJP. Having seen his popularity, the JMM again fielded him in the 2019 Lok Sabha election and he lost to Chandra Prakash Choudhary of the AJSU. The BJP and the AJSU had contested elections in an alliance.
Mahto was known for raising people's issues both inside the house and outside the house. He was one of the ardent supporters of 1932 Khatian and in November 2022 when Soren cabinet passed the 1932 Khatian he not only welcomed but even wished JMM chief Shibu Soren for his support to the movement.
However, Mahto’s open support to 1932 Khatian policy was not liked by many, especially those from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh who have migrated to Jharkhand after the creation of a separate state. As he openly supported the Khatian policy, he even faced threat to his life.
In December Mahto had received three threat letters through a speed post at his residence in Bermo of Bokaro district and his official residence in Ranchi.
As Mahto had educational qualifications of matriculate his penchant for further studies was known to all. He studied till Class 10, and was in news in 2020 for taking admission in Class 11 to complete his studies. However, just before the exam, Mahto tested COVID-19 positive and had to be admitted to a hospital in Chennai. He remained in a coma for a long time and had to undergo a lung transplant. Mahto returned to his state only after nine months of continuous treatment.
In September 2020, he was again in news for gifting cars to toppers of Class 10 and Class 12 board exams.