Former Bihar minister Aklu Ram Mahato died at a hospital on Friday, party sources said. He was 80.

Jharkhand Congress working president Rajesh Thakur said Mahato died this morning.

Mahato was a minister in the RJD government in Bihar from 1995 to 2000, he said.

Mahato was also a former MLA of Bokaro and had played an important role in the Jharkhand movement, Thakur said.