Sushil Modi: The deputy who helped Nitish steer Bihar on a new road

Former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi’s death on Monday evening after months-long battle with cancer has created a big void in Bihar politics in general and the BJP in particular.

A product of the JP Movement, which gave Bihar political stalwarts like chief minister Nitish Kumar, former CM Lalu Prasad, former union minister late Ram Vilas Paswan, union ministers Ashwini Choubey and Ravishankar Prasad, Modi created a place for himself in Bihar when BJP was not a big force, becoming the MLA from the Patna Central constituency in 1990.

Modi, a rare sober presence in Bihar’s political landscape since the turn of this century, had the unique distinction of having been a member of all the four houses — Bihar legislative assembly and legislative council, Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha — in his legislative career of nearly 35 years and political career spanning five decades.

He often called himself a student of politics, which reflected in his approach and actions. A good news report would not go unnoticed to him and he would make it a point make a call to the journalist concerned to gather more details. He was one of the few politicians who would call back if he could not pick the phone due to his hectic schedule.

It was a recognition of his ability that in 2012, he was unanimously elected the chairman of the Empowered Committee of the state finance ministers on the proposed goods and services tax (GST). He had earlier turned down the offer due to differences between BJP-ruled states and the Centre on some issues. With his ability to be a great listener and get along well even with those having divergent views, he paved the way for resolution of the outstanding issues for successful implementation of the GST. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also acknowledged it in his tribute to the departed leader.

An alumnus of the Patna Science College under Patna University, he did his B.Sc (Hons) in Botany and later got involved with the movement of Jai Prakash Narayan. He became the general secretary of Patna University Students’ Union in 1973, while Lalu Prasad Yadav, who later became his biggest political adversary, was the president of the Union at the time. Modi was arrested five times during the JP movement and Emergency.

“It was due to Sushil Modi that Lalu Prasad could become the PU Students’ Union president. Modi had won by a huge margin, while it was very small for Lalu Prasad. Therefore, Laluji joined hands with Modi. Modi was a man who got along well with everyone and all respected him. I was in Congress those days but it was Modi’s approach and behaviour that brought us closer,” said Anil Sharma, who became the PU students’ union president in 1990.

Modi was appointed the state secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad in 1977 and remained with it in various capacities. He became the chief whip of BJP legislative party the very first time he became the MLA. In his second term, he became the Leader of Opposition when Lalu Prasad was the CM.

A fighter who became one of the most visible faces of the Opposition in the 1990s, Modi was also involved in the filing of the public interest litigation (PIL) in the Patna High Court after the fodder scam surfaced. He was the opposition spearhead in the political fight against the RJD regime and succeeded in ending it in 2005 in the second attempt after a short-lived success in 2000, when the Nitish Kumar government fell in just 13 days.

“Standing against a powerful leader like Lalu Prasad when the latter was at his peak was not everyone’s cup of tea. Modi was the petitioner in the fodder scam case and I was his lawyer. How one can stick to one’s principles and larger issues is something one can learn from Modi. He never caved in under any pressure and always prepared well to take on the high and mighty,” said former Union minister Ravishankar Prasad.

In 2005, when the NDA government was finally formed in Bihar under Nitish Kumar, Modi became the deputy CM and got the crucial financial portfolio at a time when Bihar’s coffers were empty and the annual budget size was just around ₹20,000 crore. He is the man credited with developing Bihar’s budget during his long stint till 2020, barring the brief period when Nitish Kumar left the NDA and allied with RJD. It was again to the credit of Modi, who launched a relentless tirade against Lalu Prasad and furnished documents in support of his arguments, that Nitish Kumar returned to the NDA fold in 2017.

“If the NDA government could deliver to take Bihar on the path of development post 2005, a lot of credit for this should also go to Modi, who ensured a coordinated relationship with JD-U all through. He trusted Nitish Kumar as much as the CM trusted him. His ubiquitous smile even during difficult situations was a panacea for all problems. Another resemblance between the two leaders was that none of them projected their families in politics,” said union minister Ashwini Choubey, who was Modi’s contemporary and broke down on the demise of his college mate.

The bonding between Modi and Nitish Kumar was striking. Modi, who worked as Kumar’s deputy for 11 years, always praised his leader for being the one who had the knack and the commitment to transform the state. When Modi was not made the deputy CM in 2020 by the BJP, Nitish kumar was said to be upset.

Modi presented the state budget 11 times. Though he did not have finance background, he was a great learner, eager to know new things from knowledgeable people and always carrying his I-pad to have all the figures accessible to him a click away.

“He has an insatiable thirst to understand the nuances of finance and find ways to do the maximum for Bihar. He has a very inquisitive as well as receptive mind and that is good news for Bihar,” is how once economist late Shaibal Gupta, who was fully involved with state’s budget preparation, had remarked about him.

For the journalists, however, his annual ritual of throwing a Banarsi Chaat party will be missed. It was one occasion when he hardly missed anyone, working or retired, to ensure a unique congregation and talked his heart out, shedding all his inhibitions, if he had any. “I know even journalists don’t get opportunity to meet often. I also get an opportunity to meet you all through this small initiative,” he would say.