Vijay Kumar Chaudhary is a Janata Dal (United) leader. He is also the Speaker of the outgoing assembly. Famed for his ability to win over hostile opponents with a disarming smile, Vijay Kumar is seeking a hat-trick in Sarairanjan in Samastipur. The seat is going to polls in the third phase today.
Vijay Kumar is considered a trusted aide of JD(U) president and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. He began his political journey in 1982 with the Congress, when he quit his job as a bank manager. He is the son of freedom fighter and former MLA Jagdish Prasad.
BIHAR ASSEMBLY ELECTION 2020 FULL COVERAGE
He joined the JD(U) in 2005. He was unanimously elected Speaker of the Bihar Legislative Assembly in 2015. He comes from the upper caste Bhumihar. During the grand alliance government, he retained his prominent position despite the bitter caste divisions.
Vijay Kumar also won elections on a Congress ticket in 1985 and 1990.
After he joined the JD(U), the party fielded him from Sarairanjan. He won from here in 2010 and 2015. He was Minister for Water Resources, Agriculture between 2010 and 2015. Besides, he was also Home Minister in-charge fr the same period.
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The soft-spoken leader is credited with the completion of Durgawati Reservoir in 2014. The irrigation project was started in 1976 which got delayed by 38 years due to land acquisition and environmental clearance related issues. It was under his leadership, the Water Resources Ministry launched eight river-linking projects to check irrigattion and flood related issues.
