Ranchi (Jharkhand): Jharkhand Education Minister Jagarnath Mahato passed away on Thursday morning. He breathed his last in Chennai. Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced Mahato's death through a tweet and termed his death as irreparable damage.
Addressing Mahato as "Tiger Jagarnath Da", Chief Minister expressed his condolences saying that Jharkhand has lost one of the most famous leaders. Taking to Twitter, Soren said, "irreparable damage! Our Tiger Jagarnath Da is no more! Today Jharkhand has lost one of its great agitators, combative, hardworking and popular leader."
"Respected Jagarnath Mahato ji passed away during treatment in Chennai. May God give peace to the departed soul and give strength to the bereaved family to bear this difficult hour of grief," the tweet read. Mahato underwent a lung transplant after he contracted Covid in 2020.
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Mahto, who represented the Dumri assembly seat in Giridih four times, was airlifted to Chennai after he fell ill during the state budget session last month. He is survived by a son and four daughters. The state government has declared a two-day mourning period and also cancelled a cabinet meeting scheduled this evening.
Mahato was put on life support at the Chennai hospital. He was airlifted to Chennai on Oct, 19, 2020, for better medical attention after developing complications in the respiratory system. He tested positive for Coronavirus in September 2020. He had difficulty in breathing due to the low oxygen level in his blood.
The Minister was put on a life support system (ECMO treatment) before his lung transplant. MGM Healthcare, a private hospital in Tamil Nadu performed a bilateral lung transplant on Mahato in 2021. The surgery was successful and he was said to have recovered from a severe lung infection.
