Sovan Chatterjee – Wikipedia

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Indian Politician

Sovan Chatterjee (born 7 July 1964) is an Indian politician. He is a former member of Bharatiya Janata Party, and former Mayor of the city of Kolkata, the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Chatterjee served as a Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) councilor since 1985. In 2019, he joined Bharatiya Janata Party, and left in 2021.

Political career[edit]

Chatterjee, a councillor in the KMC since 1985, also served as a mayor in council from 2000 to 2005, of the corporation.[3] Chatterjee won the Behala Purba seat in the 2011 West Bengal Assembly election,[4] which he retained in 2016.[5]

Mayor of Kolkata[edit]

In 2010, he was appointed the mayor of Kolkata by his party All India Trinamool Congress, with Farzana Alam being appointed his deputy.[3] He resigned from the mayor post on 22 November 2018.

Cabinet Minister[edit]

Chatterjee was made a cabinet minister in 2016. Former mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya said that there was no provision in law that prevents a mayor from holding ministerial berth.[6] With the decline in supply of cattle, India’s first fully automated slaughterhouse (in Tangra area) was shut in May 2017. Chatterjee reacted by saying that he would examine the matter.[7]

In December 2016, Chatterjee became the first mayor of any city of India to get Z-plus security cover (the highest level of security cover in India). In that category, he would get security cover by National Security Guard commandos.[8]

In November 2014, Chatterjee was announced as the mayoral candidate of his party for the civic polls which were to be held in 2015.[9] He was reappointed the mayor of the city in May, as his party won the polls.[10]

Career In BJP[edit]

On 22 November 2018 he resigned from the mayor post of Kolkata Municipal Corporation. He later joined BJP on 14 August 2019.[11] He was the observer of Kolkata Zone for West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party. On 14 March 2021 he quit BJP along with his girlfriend/Live-in partner Baisakhi Banerjee citing unhappiness over not getting assembly election WB ’21 ticket in his desired place.

Bhangar Power Grid[edit]

Chatterjee supports the restoration work of building the Bhangar Power Grid, which was stopped due to protests of villagers over acquisition of land. He said that outsiders with vested interests were hindering development.[12]

Water crisis[edit]

In May 2017, there were reports of water crisis in South Kolkata. Areas affected included Garden Reach, Watgunj, Kidderpore. Left Front councillors boycotted a monthly meeting of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation to protest against the body’s inability to solve the issue. About the complaints, Chatterjee said that the opposition were making a “mountain out of a mole hill”.[13]

Controversies[edit]

On 17 May 2021, he along with senior minister in the Mamata Banerjee cabinet, Subrata Mukherjee, MLA and former minister Madan Mitra and Firhad Hakim has been arrested by Central Bureau of Investigation from their house in connection with the Narada sting operation.[14]

References[edit]

  1. ^ “Mayors of Kolkata”. KMC Gov. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  2. ^ “Sovan Chatterjee Wiki, Age, Bio, Height, Wife, net Worth, Assets”. India 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  3. ^ a b “Sovan Chatterjee to be new Kolkata mayor”. Hindustan Times. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  4. ^ “2011 West Bengal Assembly election result”. One India.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ “Behala Purba Assembly Election result”. Info Elections. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  6. ^ “Mayor Sovan Chatterjee in Mamata’s cabinet: Is it legal?”. Times of India. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  7. ^ “Supply falls, Kolkata shuts India’s first fully automated abattoir”. Times of India. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  8. ^ “Z+ cover for mayor, Abhishek Banerjee”. Times of India. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  9. ^ “Sovan Chatterjee to be TMC’s mayoral candidate for KMC elections”. Times of India. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  10. ^ “Sovan Chatterjee back as Kolkata mayor”. The Statesman. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  11. ^ “Sovan Chatterjee joins BJP”.
  12. ^ “Sovan bats for restoration of work at Bhangar power grid”. Millennium Post. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  13. ^ “Severe water crisis in south Kolkata area”. Times of India. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  14. ^ “Narada bribery case: 2 ministers, 1 MLA arrested, Mamata rushes to CBI office”. Indian Express. 17 May 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2021.

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