BJP MLA Raj Sinha from Dhanbad has been selected for the Excellent Legislator Award, which will be presented on 22 November during the Jharkhand Assembly Foundation Day celebrations marking the House’s silver jubilee. The decision was finalised on Wednesday at a meeting of the selection committee chaired by Speaker Rabindranath Mahato, where Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi and BJP chief whip Naveen Jaiswal were also present.
After the meeting, Speaker Rabindranath Mahato said this year’s Foundation Day is special as the Assembly completes 25 years. He added that several officials and staff members have also been selected for honours, including Santosh Kumar Singh, Neelam Kujur, Mohammad Shahid, Rakesh Kumar Singh, Mannu Ram and Ravindra Pal. The Speaker said the award is symbolic and will continue every year for those who perform well. On journalists’ demand for similar recognition, he said he had asked the journalist community to suggest names collectively since he did not want to choose any one person himself.
Reacting to the announcement, MLA Raj Sinha said the recognition is a proud moment in his public life. He said the honour reflects the collective support of the people of Dhanbad and party workers. He recalled that former MP and former Dhanbad MLA P N Singh had received the same recognition earlier, and added that he sees this as a continuation of that legacy. Sinha thanked supporters and said the award motivates him to work with even greater commitment.
Raj Sinha has won the Dhanbad Assembly seat three times in a row. He first entered the Assembly in 2014 by defeating Congress leader Mannan Mallik by more than 50,000 votes. He repeated the victory in 2019, defeating Mallik again by a sizeable margin, and completed a hat-trick in 2024. His consistent victories have helped establish him as a dependable and active legislator within the party. He will receive the Excellent Legislator Award from Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar at the Assembly complex on 22 November.