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