Patna, Apr 3 (IANS): Senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister of Bihar, Sushil Kumar Modi, on Wednesday said that he is battling cancer and hence won't be able to campaign for the party in the Lok Sabha elections.

In a post on X, Sushil Modi said: “I have been suffering from cancer for the past 6 months and the time has come to make it public. I won't be able to do anything for my party in the Lok Sabha election. I have already informed PM Narendra Modi about my disease. I am thankful and dedicated to my country, Bihar and my party.”

Sushil Modi is one of the prominent leaders of the BJP in Bihar. During the tenure of Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi government, he was the most vocal voice of BJP in Bihar. He has played a key role in strengthening the party in Bihar. He also shares a special rapport with CM Nitish Kumar.

Sushil Modi joined active politics in 1990 and won the seat from Patna central assembly constituency (Now Kumhrar). He was re-elected in 1995 and 2000. He won the Lok Sabha seat from Bhagalpur in 2004.

In 2005, NDA came to power in Bihar and Sushil Modi resigned from the Lok Sabha. He became the deputy chief minister of Bihar in the Nitish Kumar government. When NDA again won the Bihar assembly election in 2010, he retained his post of deputy chief minister. At present, he is a Rajya Sabha MP of BJP.