The 58-year-old Subodh Kant Sahai won the only seat for the Congress in Jharkhand. Sahai was elected as member of the Legislative Assembly from the Hatia constituency in Bihar for three consecutive terms from 1977-89 and had held several key posts in state politics.

He was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1989 and served as Union Minister of State for Home Affairs in 1990. He was also given additional charge of Information and Broadcasting.

Issues

There is a massive wastage in perishable commodities, initiatives to curb this have not succeeded.  No effective linkages between farmers and the food processing industry.  The food processing sector needs huge investment for development.

What he plans to do

"The food processing sector is going to be on the driving seat of the Indian economy in the next five years. By the end of this fiscal, the sector is going to contribute a sizable amount in the GDP," Subodh Kant Sahai Sahai said.

Sahai also expressed confidence that the ministry would achieve the target of attracting investments to the tune of Rs 1,00,000 crore (Rs 1 trillion) in the food processing sector by 2015.