A social worker-turned-politician, 35-year-old Madhu Koda, who is set to become Jharkhand Chief Minister, is perhaps the second youngest person to occupy the high post after Prafulla Kumar Mahanta of Assam.
Koda brings with him the experience of working as a minister in the BJP-led NDA governments of Babulal Marandi and Arjun Munda.
Koda, who entered the assembly as a BJP member in 2000 from Jagannathpur constituency, became the Panchayati Raj minister in the Babulal Marandi government and also found place in the ministry when Arjun Munda took over as chief minister in 2003.
Though he idolised BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he had contested the 2005 Assembly elections as an independent after BJP denied him a ticket. He, however, supported the BJP-led NDA government in March that year.
He had good rapport with Babulal Marandi, who has since resigned from BJP. He also never showed any public resentment against Arjun Munda till he took exception to a contractor's call, which he interpreted as a threat.
He brought this issue up in the Assembly during the monsoon session, to which Munda said a day later in Jamshedpur that it was not a threat call.
{{/usCountry}}He brought this issue up in the Assembly during the monsoon session, to which Munda said a day later in Jamshedpur that it was not a threat call.
{{/usCountry}}Born on January 6, 1971 at Patahatu in West Singhbhum district, Koda became a social activist in 1989 and later completed his graduation.
A fan of cricket and football, Koda has been at a couple of functions graced by cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni.