Sudarshan Bhagat lone face from Jharkhand

NEW DELHI: Tribal leader and MP Sudarshan Bhagat is the only face in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's council of ministers from Jharkhand, where BJP won 12 of the 14 Lok Sabha seats.

The MP from Lohardaga constituency, who took oath as Minister of State today, is closely associated with RSS and will head a portfolio for the first time.

Before this, the lone representation in the Congress-led UPA-II government was Subodh Kant Sahay who had quit in October 2012 days after a row over the coal block allocation.

Currently there is a coalition government headed by JMM's Hemant Soren in the state and Assembly elections are due in December this year.

BJP is hopeful of wresting power from Congress-JMM-RJD combine in the state. BJP had formed the first government in Jharkhand after its formation in 2000 under Babulal Marandi's leadership who is now heading another party JVM(P).