Biographical Sketch
Member of Parliament
XI Lok Sabha
CHATTERJEE, SHRI SOMNATH
C.P.I (M) - BOLPUR (WEST BENGAL)
Father's Name: Late Shri N.C. Chatterjee
Date of Birth: 25 July 1929
Place of Birth: Tezpur (Assam)
Marital Status: Married on 7 February 1950
Spouse's Name: Smt. Renu Chatterjee
Children: One son and two daughters
Educational Qualifications :
M.A. (Cantab), Bar-at-law
Educated at Calcutta University, Calcutta; Cambridge University
and Middle Temple (U.K.)
Profession :
Advocate, Trade Unionist, Political and Social Worker
(West Bengal)
Tels. (033) 464-4321, 466-2203
Fax. 466-2900
Fax : 332-5305
Positions Held :
1968 onwardsMember, C.P.I. (M)
1971Elected to Lok Sabha (Fifth)
Member, Joint Committee on Amendment of Election Laws
1971-77Member, Committee of Privileges
Member, Joint Committee on Offices of Profit
1977Re-elected to Lok Sabha (Sixth)
1977-79Chairman, Committee on Subordinate Legislation
Member, Joint Select Committee on Prasar Bharati Bill
Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Law, Justice
and Company Affairs
1980Elected to Lok Sabha (Seventh) for the third time
1980-84Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Finance
Member, Committee of Privileges
1985Elected to Lok Sabha (Eighth) for the fourth time
1986-89Member, Rules Committee
Member, Committee of Privileges
Member, Joint Committee on Lok Pal Bill
Member, Joint Committee on Prasar Bharati Bill
1987Member, State Committee, C.P.I. (M), West Bengal
1989Elected to Lok Sabha (Ninth) for the fifth time
1990Member,Committee to Review Lok Sabha Secretariat Rules,1955
1990-91Chairman, Committee of Privileges
Member, General Purposes Committee
Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of IndiaPress Affairs
1991Elected to Lok Sabha (Tenth) for the Sixth time
1991-93Chairman, Committee on Subordinate Legislation
1991-96Leader, C.P.I. (M) in Lok Sabha
1993-1996Chairman, Standing Committee on Railways
1996Elected to Lok Sabha (Eleventh) for the Seventh time
Leader, C.P.I. (M) in Lok Sabha
Books Published :
Contributed a chapter on 'Emergency and Parliament' in 25 years
of Parliament (Lok Sabha Secretariat Publication)
Literary, Artistic and Scientific Accomplishments :
Collection of Speeches delivered in Fifth and Sixth Lok Sabha;
contribution of articles to leading journals, publications
including Lok Sabha publications
Social and Cultural Activities :
Connected with various educational, cultural and professional
institutions and trade unions
Special Interests :
Law and civil liberties; small scale industries and problems relating
to education
Favourite Pastime and Recreation :
Gardening, reading and watching sports events
Sports and Clubs :
Member, Executive Committee, Mohan Bagan Athletic Club; Member,
Lake Club, Calcutta Club, Bengal Club, Bhowanipore Club, Life
Saving Society, Cricket Association of Bengal, Calcutta and India
International Centre
Countries Visited :
Widely travelled; Member, Parliamentary Delegation to CPC
Conference, Fiji, 1983 and I.P.U. Conference, at Stockholm in
1992; Member, Delegation to E.E.C. countries and European
Parliament in 1988
Other Information :
Senior Advocate, Supreme Court and Calcutta High Court; Senior
Government Advocate, Calcutta High Court, 1969-70; Chairman
(i) West Bengal Small Industries Corporation Ltd.; (ii) West
Bengal, Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd. Calcutta;
(iii) West Bengal, Project Ltd.; (iv) Pulver Ash Project Ltd.;
(v) Mayurakshi Cotton Mills; (vi) Rural Cancer Society; (vii)
Bolpur Subdivisional Hospital, Bolpur, Birbhum; (viii) Advisory
Committee, K.S. Roy. T.B. Hospital Calcutta; (ix) Jadavpur
Stadium Committee, Calcutta; (x) Sriniketan Santiniketan
Development Authority; President (i) Managing Committee of Mitra
Institution, Bhowanipur Branch, Calcutta; (ii) Governing Body,
Bolpur College, Bolpur, Birbhum; (iii) Governing Body Basirhat
College, Basirhat, 24 Parganas (North); (iv) Governing Body,
Basantidevi College, Calcutta; (v) Governing Body, Bengal Music
College, Calcutta; (vi) High Court Employees Association,
Calcutta; (vii) Central Government Forms Press Workers Union,
Calcutta; (viii) Union Jute Staff Association, Calcutta; (ix)
Biecco Lawrie Employees' Union, Calcutta; (x) India Tobacco
workers' Union, Calcutta; (xi) K.S. Roy T.B. Hospital Employees'
Union, Jadavpur, Calcutta; (xii) All India ITC Workers'
Federation; (xiii) National Federation of Printing Stationery
Publication Employees' Union; (xiv) Chittaranjan Seva Sadan and
Cancer hospital Employees' Union, Calcutta; (xv) Calcutta Mint
Workers' Union, Calcutta; (xvi) Coordination Committee of the
Unions and Associations of Mint Workers, Calcutta; (xvii)
Federation of NJMC Staff Associations; (xviii) Infusion (India)
Workers Union, Calcutta; Member (i) Senate, University of
Calcutta; (ii) Syndicate, University of Calcutta; (iii) Court,
Viswabharati; (iv) Asiatic Society, Calcutta; (v) Supreme Court
bar Association; (vi) Bar Association of India; (vii) Indian law
Institute; (viii) Committee for Courses of Study in Law,
University of Burdwan; (ix) Committee on the Reorganisation of
Press Council set up by Government of India; (x) General Council,
Mitra Institution Bhowanipur; (xi) International Law Association;
(xii) Advisory Council, Calcutta Metropolitan Development
Authority, Calcutta; (xiii) Steering Committee of the West Bengal
Branch of the Peoples' Union for Civil Liberties and Democratic
Rights; (xiv) All India Civil Liberties Council; (xv) Democratic
Lawyers' Association; (xvi) Bar Association, Calcutta; (xvii) Bar
Library, Calcutta; (xviii) Netaji Indoor Stadium Committee,
Calcutta; (xix) Programme Advisory Committee, All India Radio,
Calcutta, 1980; (xx) Select Committee on Companies Law Amendment
Bill; (xxi) Select Committee on Direct Taxes Amendment Bill;
(xxii) Select Committee on Constitution (32nd) Amendment Bill;
(xxiii) Select Committee on Code of Criminal Procedure Bill; and
(xxiv) Select Committee on Central Sales Tax (Amendment) Bill;
Connected with various Trade Union Organisations; Conferred,
'Outstanding Parliamentarian' Award, 1996
Election Result :
Bolpur Lok Sabha constituency
Total electorate9,77,226
Total votes polled8,02,298
Votes polled in favour of the
first four leading candidates :
(1) Shri Somnath Chatterjee [C.P.I.(M)]4,71,549
(2) Shri Sunil Das (I.N.C.)2,17,903
(3) Shri Tara Prosanna Sinha (B.J.P.) 76,548
(4) Shri Modaswar Hossain (Ind.) 8,670