✦ Celebrity stories, facts and career updates. Explore F4U now →

Home › Biography › Sushil Kumar Modi

Sushil Kumar Modi biographyFeatured Biography

Image source: StarsUnfolded

Celebrities

Sushil Kumar Modi Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 14, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth5 January 1952

Age72 Years

BirthplacePatna, Bihar, India

ProfessionPolitician

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseJessie George

FamilyFather - Moti Lal Modi; Mother - Ratna Devi; Children - 2

Sushil Kumar Modi Biography

Sushil Kumar Modi was an Indian politician from Bihar who served multiple terms as Deputy Chief Minister and held senior roles in the Bharatiya Janata Part

Early life and background

Sushil Kumar Modi was born on 5 January 1952 in Patna, Bihar. He came from a Marwari family and spent his early years in Patna, where he attended B N College and Patna Science College. He completed a BSc and studied Botany honours, and later enrolled in an MSc program at Patna University which he did not complete. Modi became involved with student and social movements at a young age and joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in 1962.

Political beginnings and student activism

Modi’s public life began in student politics. In 1974 he became a member of the Bihar Pradesh Chaatra Sangharsh Samiti and shortly thereafter took on roles in the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Between 1977 and 1986 he held several ABVP positions, including state organising secretary for Bihar, All India secretary with responsibility for Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and later All India general secretary. His early activism also included participation in the JP Movement and resistance during the Emergency; he was arrested multiple times and spent extended periods in detention.

State and national political career

Modi moved from student politics into electoral politics in 1990, winning a seat from Patna Central (now Kumhrar) in the Bihar Legislative Assembly. He retained that seat in subsequent elections and served as the BJP legislature party’s chief whip. Over the 1990s and early 2000s he emerged as a prominent opposition leader in the state and was Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar assembly from 1996 to 2004.

In 2000 Modi briefly served as Minister for Parliamentary Affairs in the Nitish Kumar government. He later transitioned to national politics when he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Bhagalpur in 2004. By 2005 he had returned to state leadership as the leader of the Bihar BJP legislature party and was appointed Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar with responsibility for the finance portfolio and multiple departments. He continued to hold senior executive roles in the state government, serving as Deputy Chief Minister in 2010 and again in 2017.

In December 2020 he was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar to fill a vacancy. Over a long public career he was closely associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party and held a string of party and government responsibilities that made him a senior figure in Bihar politics.

Public profile

Modi’s political life included activism, litigation and public controversies. He challenged the Maintenance of Internal Security Act in 1974 and later filed a public interest litigation that contributed to attention on the fodder corruption case. He also pursued legal action in a defamation case against a national political leader in 2023. His public record reflects sustained engagement in both grassroots organising and high-level administration.

Personal life

Modi married Jessie George in 1987; the couple had two children. Jessie George was from Kerala and their marriage required bridging family objections at the time. Modi practised yoga and enjoyed reading and writing. His parents were named Moti Lal Modi and Ratna Devi.

Health and death

In April 2024 Modi announced that he would not contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, citing health concerns. He was admitted to AIIMS in New Delhi and died there on 13 May 2024 at the age of 72 after a battle with cancer.

Latest updates

Posthumously, he was named for the Padma Bhushan in 2025. News of his death and the final phase of his career, including his decision not to run in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, were part of public reporting in the months prior to his passing.

Legacy

Over five decades of public life, Sushil Kumar Modi moved from student activism into senior legislative and executive roles. His career combined organisational work within student and party structures, legislative leadership in Bihar, service in state cabinets, a term in the Lok Sabha and later representation in the Rajya Sabha. He remained a high-profile figure in Bihar politics until his final illness.
◈

Recent Work

Rajya Sabha membership

Elected to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar on 8 December 2020 to fill a vacant seat.

2020
✦

Career Highlights

  1. Member of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad leadership (1977–1986)
  2. Elected to Bihar Legislative Assembly from Patna Central (1990) and re-elected in 1995 and 2000
  3. Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly (1996–2004)
  4. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Bihar (2000)
  5. Lok Sabha member from Bhagalpur (2004)
  6. Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar with the finance portfolio (from 2005; served in 2010 and 2017)
?

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Sushil Kumar Modi born?

5 January 1952

What is Sushil Kumar Modi known for?

Politician

What is Sushil Kumar Modi’s marital status?

Married

Who is Sushil Kumar Modi married to?

Jessie George