Abhijit Mukherjee (born 2 January 1960) is an Indian politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) from the Jangipur Lok Sabha constituency in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Abhijit Mukherjee | |
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Member of the Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
In office 18 October 2012 – 23 May 2019 | |
Preceded by | Pranab Mukherjee |
Succeeded by | Khalilur Rahaman |
Constituency | Jangipur |
Member of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly | |
In office 13 May 2011 – 18 October 2012 | |
Preceded by | Dipak Chatterjee |
Succeeded by | Dipak Chatterjee |
Constituency | Nalhati |
Personal details | |
Born | Hooghly, West Bengal, India | 2 January 1960
Political party | Trinamool Congress (2021–2024) |
Other political affiliations | Indian National Congress (2011–2021) |
Parent(s) | Pranab Mukherjee Suvra Mukherjee |
Residence(s) | Kabi Bharati Sarani Kolkata |
Alma mater | Jadavpur University (BE) |
Occupation | Chartered Engineer & Social Worker |
Profession | Social Worker, Politician |
Website | http://www.abhijitmukherjee.in |
Mukherjee won the 2012 Jangipur Lok Sabha constituency by-election by 2,536 votes defeating his nearest CPI(M) rival Muzaffar Hussain after a tough fight. The seat was vacated by his father President Pranab Mukherjee after he was elected as the President.[1]
Mukherjee was re elected to Lok Sabha from Jangipur in 2014.[2] He lost the 2019 election to TMC candidate Khalilur Rahaman.
Early years
editAbhijit Mukherjee was born on 2 January 1960 in Hoogly in West Bengal. He is the son of late Pranab Mukherjee (the former President of India) and late Suvra Mukherjee.[3] His grandfather, Kamada Kinkar Mukherjee, was active in the Indian independence movement and was a member of West Bengal Legislative Council between 1952 and 1964 as a representative of the Indian National Congress.[4][5] Mukherjee graduated with a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from the Jadavpur University in 1984.[3]
Professional career
editMukherjee has worked as a corporate executive for firms like the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Maruti Udyog Limited and the Steel Authority of India Limited.[6] He was General Manager in charge of Corporate Social Responsibility [CSR] in the Steel Authority of India Limited.[citation needed]
Political career
editMukherjee began his political career as a state legislator in West Bengal.[citation needed] Following his father's election to the presidency, he contested the by-election for the Jangipur Seat in the Lok Sabha and won. He was re-elected in the 2014 Indian general election in a four cornered contest and retained his seat in Jangipur Constituency of Dist : Murshidabad, West Bengal. He is one of the four Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha from West Bengal who are members of the Indian National Congress. In the 2019 General elections to the Lok Sabha, he lost to his rival candidate from TMC.[citation needed]
On 5 July 2021, he joined Trinamool Congress after resigning from Indian National Congress.[7]
Controversy
editIn 2012, Mukherjee was criticized for describing the women participants of the anti-rape protests as "highly dented and painted". He later withdrew and apologised for his statements.[8]
References
edit- ^ The Hindu : News / National : Congress loses Tehri, scrapes through in Jangipur
- ^ "General Elections to Lok Sabha 2014 Constituency Wise Trends & Results". West Bengal. Election Commission of India. Archived from the original on 25 May 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
- ^ a b "Life of Abhijit Mukherjee". abhijitmukherjee.in. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
- ^ "Who is Pranab Mukherjee?". NDTV. 15 June 2012. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
- ^ "Biography". Pranab Mukherjee. Archived from the original on 4 September 2010. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
- ^ "No surprises here, it's a staid First Family". Tehelka. 26 June 2012. Archived from the original on 30 August 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
- ^ "Abhijeet Banerjee joins TMC". The Quint. 5 July 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ^ "President's son Abhijit Mukherjee apologizes after calling anti-rape protesters 'dented and painted'". The Times of India. 27 December 2012. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2 March 2024.