Senior Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader and Jharkhand Higher and Technical Education and Urban Development Minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu has died of heart attack, the party said on Sunday.
Sudivya Kumar, 56, was admitted to a private hospital in Ranchi late Saturday night and died of cardiac arrest around 4:00 am.
Sudivya Kumar, a legislator from Giridih, also held charge of the Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs departments
Expressing grief over his death, the JMM said in a post on X: "The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha family is stunned and heart-broken by the untimely demise of Sudivya Kumar, a dedicated comrade of JMM and a Minister in Jharkhand government."
ज़िंदगी की क्षणभंगुरता…
— Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (@JmmJharkhand) September 6, 2026
कल तक जो साथी हमारे बीच थे, आज उनकी स्मृतियाँ ही हमारे साथ हैं। जीवन की अनिश्चितता हमें एक बार फिर गहरे दुःख और शोक में छोड़ गई है।
झारखंड मुक्ति मोर्चा के समर्पित साथी एवं झारखंड सरकार के मंत्री सुदिव्य कुमार के असामयिक निधन से पूरा झामुमो परिवार… pic.twitter.com/CqsHItNpzR
The party said Sonu's death had left its members shocked and grief-stricken, describing his loss as irreplaceable for both the government and the state. It also remembered his contribution to the party and extended condolences to his family and colleagues.
"His departure is an irreparable loss for the party, the government and Jharkhand," the post added.
Mourning the death of Sudivya Kumar, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the loss was deeply personal.
He remembered him as a trusted companion, mentor and a committed soldier of the Jharkhand movement whose contributions to the state's identity and rights would never be forgotten.
देर रात अपने बड़े भाई, हमारे प्रिय सुदिव्य कुमार सोनू जी के निधन का दुःखद समाचार मिला। इस खबर को स्वीकार कर पाना मेरे लिए बेहद कठिन है। सोनू भैया का जाना मेरे जीवन में ऐसी रिक्तता छोड़ गया है, जिसे शब्दों में व्यक्त करना संभव नहीं।
— Hemant Soren (@HemantSorenJMM) September 6, 2026
सोनू भैया मेरे लिए सिर्फ एक वरिष्ठ साथी या… pic.twitter.com/rXEyPBQULo
Jharkhand Transport, Revenue and Land Reforms Minister Deepak Birua said Sonu's condition worsened suddenly on Saturday night and that he died while undergoing treatment at a hospital.
In a message, Birua said, "I am deeply saddened by the death of my fellow minister in the Jharkhand government, brother Sudivya Sonu. Last night, his health suddenly deteriorated. He was taken to the hospital, where he passed away during treatment."
झारखंड सरकार के साथी मंत्री भाई सुदिव्य सोनू जी के निधन से मन मर्माहत है।
— Deepak Birua (@deepakbiruajmm) September 6, 2026
कल रात अचानक उनकी तबीयत बिगड़ी,रात में ही उन्हें अस्पताल में इलाज के दौरान उनका देहावसान हो गया।
ईश्वर उनकी आत्मा को शांति दें एवं परिवार जनों को दुःख सहने की शक्ति दें।
अश्रुपूर्ण और अंतिम जोहार भाई। pic.twitter.com/fEQnsycmy2
He further said he was deeply saddened by the loss and extended condolences to the bereaved family.
"May God grant peace to his soul and give strength to his family to bear this grief," he said.
Kumar, who was elected from the Giridih Assembly constituency in 2019, is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son.
A trusted aide of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, he played a crucial role in steering the JMM through several political challenges, including the period following Soren's arrest in a land fraud and money laundering case in 2024.
Just days before his death, Kumar had returned from Karnataka, where he headed a Jharkhand government delegation to study tourism infrastructure and management practices. During the visit, he met Karnataka Tourism Minister K J George to discuss potential collaboration in tourism and forest management.
The delegation also explored the possibility of partnering with Jungle Lodges & Resorts as a knowledge partner to enhance the management and operation of tourism facilities and resorts at key destinations in Jharkhand.
His sudden death has left the ruling JMM and the state government in mourning, with leaders remembering him as a senior minister and key party strategist.
(With inputs from agencies)
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