Bidhu Jha
Encyclopedia
Bidhu Shekhar Jha is a politician in Manitoba
, Canada
. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
since 2003, representing the Winnipeg
division of Radisson as a member of the New Democratic Party
.
, now a part of the India
n state of Jharkhand
. He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering
from BIT Sindri, and has taken post-graduate training in Industrial Engineering
and Management
. He moved to Canada
in 1969 and founded Optimum Ergonomics Ltd. in 1978, specializing in office and computer furnishings. He later founded the Optimum Technology Corporation, specializing in international trade and business development.
Jha authored the screenplay for a full-length feature film entitled Namumkin
(1988), telling the story of an Asia
n family exiled from Idi Amin
's Uganda
. He later served as president of Winnipeg's Indian Association, and led a flag-raising ceremony in 1997 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of India's independence. In 2001, he organized a dinner for British Columbia
Premier
Ujjal Dosanjh
to mark his selection as Canada's first provincial leader of South Asian background.
Jha served on the board of Manitoba Telephone System in 1986-87, and has also served on the boards of the Canadian Cancer Society
and Deer Lodge Foundation. In 2002, he received a Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal and an Asia Pacific Award of Entrepreneurship from the Asper School of Business
at the University of Manitoba
. He was 63 years old as of 2006.
, and lost to Progressive Conservative
candidate John Loewen
in the south Winnipeg division of Fort Whyte. The New Democratic Party won a majority government across the province. After the election, Jha was appointed to the Board of the Manitoba Crown Corporations Council
. He later chaired a Taxi-Cab Safety Working Group, which was convened after five Winnipeg drivers were murdered over the course of ten years. He issued a report calling for the installation of safety shields, cameras and recording devices; safety shields were made mandatory in 2002.
Jha was elected for the northeast Winnipeg division of Radisson in the 2003 general election
, as the NDP won a second consecutive majority government across the province. On November 4, 2003, he was appointed Legislative Assistant to the Minister of Energy, Science and Technology. The following year, he was named as Legislative Assistant to the Premier
. He played an active role in securing repairs for the Prendergast Community Centre, and accompanied Premier Gary Doer
on a trade mission to India in 2006.
Jha broke ranks with his government in 2005 to oppose the construction of a large hog-processing facility in the Radisson division. Many of his constituents were against the project, and Jha argued that the facility should be built outside of the city. In response to criticism, Premier Doer announced in 2007 that the plant would not be constructed.
Some believed that Jha's seat would be vulnerable in the 2007 provincial election
, but he was re-elected by an increased margin.
Mr. Jha has won the seat for the third time in a row in 2011
. Expenditure entries refer to individual candidate expenses.
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
since 2003, representing the Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
division of Radisson as a member of the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party of Manitoba
The New Democratic Party of Manitoba is a social-democratic political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is the provincial wing of the federal New Democratic Party, and is a successor to the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...
.
Private life and career
Jha was born in DeogharDeoghar
Deoghar is the headquarters city of Deoghar District in the Santhal Parganas division of the state of Jharkhand, India. It is an important Hindu pilgrimage centre, having in Baidyanath Temple one of the twelve Shiva Jyothirlingams in India and also one of the 51 Shakti Peethas in India.-Origin of...
, now a part of the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state of Jharkhand
Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
. He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
from BIT Sindri, and has taken post-graduate training in Industrial Engineering
Industrial engineering
Industrial engineering is a branch of engineering dealing with the optimization of complex processes or systems. It is concerned with the development, improvement, implementation and evaluation of integrated systems of people, money, knowledge, information, equipment, energy, materials, analysis...
and Management
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
. He moved to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1969 and founded Optimum Ergonomics Ltd. in 1978, specializing in office and computer furnishings. He later founded the Optimum Technology Corporation, specializing in international trade and business development.
Jha authored the screenplay for a full-length feature film entitled Namumkin
Namumkin
Namumkin is a feature-length film released in 1988, telling the story of an Asian family exiled from Idi Amin's Uganda. The screenplay was written by Bidhu Jha, who was later elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba....
(1988), telling the story of an Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n family exiled from Idi Amin
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
's Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
. He later served as president of Winnipeg's Indian Association, and led a flag-raising ceremony in 1997 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of India's independence. In 2001, he organized a dinner for British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
Premier
Premier of British Columbia
The Premier of British Columbia is the first minister, head of government, and de facto chief executive for the Canadian province of British Columbia. Until the early 1970s the title Prime Minister of British Columbia was often used...
Ujjal Dosanjh
Ujjal Dosanjh
Ujjal Dev Singh Dosanjh, PC, QC, is a Sikh Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as 33rd Premier of British Columbia from 2000 to 2001 and as a Liberal Party of Canada Member of Parliament from 2004 to 2011 including a stint as Minister of Health from 2004 until 2006 when the party lost...
to mark his selection as Canada's first provincial leader of South Asian background.
Jha served on the board of Manitoba Telephone System in 1986-87, and has also served on the boards of the Canadian Cancer Society
Canadian Cancer Society
The Canadian Cancer Society is a national, community-based charitable organization of volunteers whose mission is to eradicate cancer and enhance the quality of life of those living with the disease....
and Deer Lodge Foundation. In 2002, he received a Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal and an Asia Pacific Award of Entrepreneurship from the Asper School of Business
Asper School of Business
The Asper School of Business is located on the University of Manitoba, Fort Garry Campus in South Winnipeg, Manitoba. The school began in 1937 as the University of Manitoba Faculty of Management. The school was renamed in 2000 in honour of Izzy Asper, noted for his many contributions to the City of...
at the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
. He was 63 years old as of 2006.
Political career
Jha ran for the Manitoba legislature in the 1999 provincial electionManitoba general election, 1999
The Manitoba general election of September 21, 1999 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada....
, and lost to Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba is the only right wing political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is also the official opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.-Origins and early years:...
candidate John Loewen
John Loewen
John Loewen is a businessman and politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1999 to 2005 as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party, and campaigned for the Canadian House of Commons in 2006 and 2008 as a Liberal...
in the south Winnipeg division of Fort Whyte. The New Democratic Party won a majority government across the province. After the election, Jha was appointed to the Board of the Manitoba Crown Corporations Council
Manitoba Crown Corporations Council
The Manitoba Crown Corporations Council is an agency of the Government of Manitoba, responsible for overseeing and developing crown corporations within the province. It was established by the government of Gary Filmon in 1989, and is known for operating in a quiet and discreet manner....
. He later chaired a Taxi-Cab Safety Working Group, which was convened after five Winnipeg drivers were murdered over the course of ten years. He issued a report calling for the installation of safety shields, cameras and recording devices; safety shields were made mandatory in 2002.
Jha was elected for the northeast Winnipeg division of Radisson in the 2003 general election
Manitoba general election, 2003
The Manitoba general election held on June 3, 2003 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the New Democratic Party, which won 35 seats out of 57. The Progressive Conservative Party finished second with twenty seats...
, as the NDP won a second consecutive majority government across the province. On November 4, 2003, he was appointed Legislative Assistant to the Minister of Energy, Science and Technology. The following year, he was named as Legislative Assistant to the Premier
Premier of Manitoba
The Premier of Manitoba is the first minister for the Canadian province of Manitoba. He or she is the province's head of government and de facto chief executive. Until the early 1970s, the title "Prime Minister of Manitoba" was used frequently. Afterwards, the word Premier, derived from the French...
. He played an active role in securing repairs for the Prendergast Community Centre, and accompanied Premier Gary Doer
Gary Doer
Gary Albert Doer, OM is a Canadian diplomat and politician from Manitoba, Canada. Since October 19, 2009, he has served as Canada's Ambassador to the United States...
on a trade mission to India in 2006.
Jha broke ranks with his government in 2005 to oppose the construction of a large hog-processing facility in the Radisson division. Many of his constituents were against the project, and Jha argued that the facility should be built outside of the city. In response to criticism, Premier Doer announced in 2007 that the plant would not be constructed.
Some believed that Jha's seat would be vulnerable in the 2007 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 2007
The Manitoba general election held on May 22, 2007 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the New Democratic Party, which won 36 seats out of 57. The Progressive Conservative Party finished second with nineteen seats. The Liberal...
, but he was re-elected by an increased margin.
Mr. Jha has won the seat for the third time in a row in 2011
Electoral record
All electoral information is taken from Elections ManitobaElections Manitoba
Elections Manitoba is the non-partisan agency of the Government of Manitoba, responsible for the conduct of provincial elections....
. Expenditure entries refer to individual candidate expenses.