Sudhir Chandra Das

Sudhir Chandra Das was an Indian politician. Das was born on November 15, 1907.[1] During the struggle for Indian independent, he took part in the Salt, No-Tax and Quit India movements.[2][3]

1952 election

Das left the Indian National Congress in 1950 and joined the Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party.[1] Das contested the first West Bengal Legislative Assembly election in independent India, held in 1952, as a KMPP candidate, winning the Contai North seat.[4] He obtained 11,830 votes (35.32%), defeating the candidates of the Indian National Congress, the Communist Party of India, the Bharatiya Jan Sangh and the Socialist Party.[4]

PSP leader

He later became a key leader of the Praja Socialist Party.[1] Das contested the Contai South seat in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, 1957, finishing in second place with 18,145 votes (45.39%).[5]

Das won the Contai South seat in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, 1962, obtaining 22,565 votes (51.06%).[6] He retained the seat in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, 1967, obtaining 26,089 votes (51.04%).[7] He again won the Contai South seat in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, 1969, obtaining 29,776 votes (57.07%).[8] In all of the elections 1957-1969, the contests in Contai South were essentially straight contests between PSP and the Indian National Congress (in the sense that no other candidate obtained more than 5% of the vote).[5][6][7][8]

Minister

On May 9, 1969 Das, leading a dissident faction of the Praja Socialist Party, was sworn in as Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Minister in the second United Front government of West Bengal.[9][10]

Das retained the Contai South seat in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, 1971, again standing on a PSP ticket but now facing opposition not just from the Indian National Congress but also the CPI(M) (former United Front partner) and the Congress(O).[11] He obtained 18,165 (38.66%).[11] Das was named Minister for Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services (including Zoological Gardens) in the cabinet formed by Ajoy Mukherjee (a coalition of Bangla Congress-INC-Indian Union Muslim League-Rebel Samyukta Socialist Party and Das' rebel PSP - Democratic Socialist Consolidation).[12]

Later years

Das retained the Contai South seat in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, 1972, contesting on an independent ticket.[13] He obtained 20,001 votes (43.90%), defeating the candidates of Congress(O) and CPI(M).[13] On June 11, 1972 the rebel PSP led by Das and Arun Mitra merged into the Indian National Congress to "pursue the socialist path shown by Indira Gandhi".[14] Das became a prominent member of the Indian National Congress.[2]

Das lost the Contai South seat in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, 1977, defeated by Satya Brata Maiti of the Janata Party.[15] He ran on a independent ticket, finishing in second place with 4,556 votes (10.26%).[15]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Times of India (Firm) (1969). The Times of India Directory and Year Book Including Who's who. Bennett, Coleman & Company. p. 880.
  2. 1 2 Jadavpur Journal of International Relations. 5. Department of International Relations, Jadavpur University. 2000. p. 19.
  3. ↑ Niranjan Ghosh (1988). Role of Women in the Freedom Movement in Bengal, 1919-1947: Midnapore, Bankura, and Purulia District. Tamralipta Prakashani. p. 250.
  4. 1 2 "General Elections, India, 1951, to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  5. 1 2 "General Elections, India, 1957, to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  6. 1 2 "General Elections, India, 1962, to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  7. 1 2 "General Elections, India, 1967, to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  8. 1 2 "General Elections, India, 1969, to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  9. ↑ Communist Party of India (Marxist). West Bengal State Committee. Election results of West Bengal: statistics & analysis, 1952-1991. The Committee. p. 379.
  10. ↑ Indian Recorder and Digest. 15. 1969. p. 28.
  11. 1 2 "General Elections, India, 1971, to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  12. ↑ Socialist India. 2. Indian National Congress. All India Congress Committee. 1971. p. 601.
  13. 1 2 "General Elections, India, 1972, to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  14. ↑ S. N. Sadasivan (1977). Party and democracy in India. Tata McGraw-Hill. p. 167.
  15. 1 2 "General Elections, India, 1977, to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
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