 He also served as general secretary of the Indian National Congress Party.He served as Cabinet Minister in the Ministry of Health in Bihar Government led by Rabri Devi.He was Minister of State in the Ministry of Communication & IT and Ministry of Home Affairs in the first Government of India, headed by Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister and formed in 2004.In March 2011, he was appointed by Congress President Sonia Gandhi as Party-In-Charge for the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal.