Bhagwat Jha Azad was an Indian freedom fighter and politician. He served as Chief Minister of Bihar from 14 February 1988 to 10 March 1989.[1][2] He was at various times a member of parliament and a member of the Bihar state legislature.

Bhagwat Jha Azad
18th Chief Minister of Bihar
In office
14 February 1988 – 10 March 1989
Preceded byBindeshwari Dubey
Succeeded bySatyendra Narayan Sinha
Personal details
Born(1922-11-28)28 November 1922
Godda, Bihar and Orissa Province, British India
Died4 October 2011(2011-10-04) (aged 88)
Bhagalpur, Bihar, India

Political career

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Azad was a 20-year-old college student when he took part in a demonstration as part of the Quit India Movement in 1942. He was hit by a bullet in his leg, which incident made him famous in the press. After this, there was no going back for the young man, and a glittering political career was born. Later, Azad was also arrested several times by the British.[3]

Independence came in 1947, exactly five years after the Quit India Movement, and Azad was advantageously poised to make a career in politics. He was part of an influential cohort of politicians from Bihar who gained prominence on the national stage during the post-independence stage, known as the "Young Turks." He was a contemporary of Bindeshwari Dubey, Abdul Gafoor, Chandrashekhar Singh, Satyendra Narayan Sinha and Kedar Pandey (all future chief ministers of Bihar); and of Sitaram Kesri, future national president of Indian National Congress.[citation needed]

Azad represented Bhagalpur constituency in the Lok Sabha for five terms.[4] He was elected to the third, fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth Lok Sabha. He served as a Union minister of state from 1967 to 1983 in the ministries of agriculture, education, labour and employment, supply and rehabilitation, civil aviation and food and civil supplies. He was a veteran Congressman, and Chief Minister of Bihar between 14 February 1988 and 10 March 1989.[4]

Well known cricketer Kirti Azad and ex IPS officer Yashovardhan Azad are his sons.

Bhagwat Jha Azad died in 2011 aged 89. He had been ailing for several years.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ "Government of Bihar | Chief Ministers of Bihar State, India | biharJagran.com". biharjagran.com. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Members Bioprofile". 164.100.47.132. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011.
  3. ^ Indian Parliament (1952-57): "Personalities"-Series 2 Authentic, ...by Trilochan Singh - 1954
  4. ^ a b "World News, Latest World News, Breaking News and Headlines Today". Hindustan Times. 4 October 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2021.