Shri Devesh Chandra Thakur is a senior leader from the Janata Dal (United) party, representing the Sitamarhi constituency in Bihar. Born on July 3, 1953, Thakur has a diverse background in education and politics. He completed his early schooling at St. Xavier’s School in Hazaribagh and later attended the Sainik School in Nashik. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fergusson College, Pune, and a law degree from ILS Law College.
Thakur initially began his political career in Maharashtra, engaging with the Youth Congress and working alongside prominent leaders like Vilasrao Deshmukh. His political career in Bihar took off when he contested the 1990 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections, but it was in 2002 that he made a significant impact by winning a seat in the Bihar Legislative Council from the Tirhut Graduate constituency as an independent candidate. He continued to serve in the Legislative Council until 2020 and also held the position of Cabinet Minister for Disaster Management in Bihar.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Thakur successfully contested from Sitamarhi, marking his debut in parliamentary elections. He won the seat by defeating RJD’s Arjun Roy. Despite some controversies surrounding his remarks about certain communities, Thakur remains an influential figure in Bihar politics, with significant support from various communities, particularly the upper castes and Dalits, largely due to his alignment with JD(U) and NDA.