Mahua Moitra is an Indian politician and member of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). She has served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Krishnanagar constituency from 2019 to 2023 until being expelled. She was re-elected to parliament in the 2024 Indian general election.
Full Name: Mahua Mitra
Date of Birth: 05 May 1976
Place of Birth: Labac, Cachar, Assam.
Party Name: All India Trinamool Congress
Education: Graduate
Profession: Economist
Father’s Name: Dwipendra Lal Moitra
Mother’s Name: Manjoo Moitra
Social Media: Twitter, Facebook
Early Life and Education
Mahua Moitra was born on 12 October 1974, in Labac in the Cachar district of Assam. She hails from a Bengali Hindu Brahmin family and has a sister. She comes from a Bengali Brahmin family, Her father’s Name is Dwipendra Lal Moitra, and her mother is Manju Moitra.
Moitra went to Gokhale Memorial Girls’ School in Kolkata. She studied hard, aced her school exams, secured a scholarship to pursue a degree in mathematics and economics from, Mount Holyoke College South Hadley in Massachusetts, United States, and landed a high-paying job as a banker in New York and London.
Professional Background
Before entering politics, Moitra was Vice-President of JP Morgan and worked as an investment banker for JP Morgan Chase in New York City and London. She quit her job in 2009, to join politics.
Political Career
Mahua Moitra’s political journey began with the Indian National Congress, where she worked closely with Rahul Gandhi and led the Aam Aadmi Ka Sipahi initiative. In 2010, she moved to the All India Trinamool Congress party. She was elected from the Karimpur constituency in Nadia district, West Bengal in the Legislative Assembly elections held in 2016. She won the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 by a margin of 44,000 plus votes and returned to parliament with a decisive victory.
Her maiden speech in the Lok Sabha, where she listed the “seven signs of early fascism,” gained widespread acclaim and highlighted her rhetorical skills and commitment to democratic values
Political Timeline of Mahua Moitra
2024 She was re-elected to the Lok Sabha from the Krishnanagar seat.
2023 She was expelled from the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian parliament.
2020 She was part of the Joint Committee on the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019.
2019 She was elected as a Member of Parliament from the Krishnanagar constituency in West Bengal. She was a member of the Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology. Additionally, she also served as a Member of the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
2016 She contested and won the assembly election in Karimpur where she defeated Kalyan Chaubey from the BJP by a margin of 16,000 votes. As a member of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, she served on the Standing Committee on Health & Family Welfare.
2010 Mahua Moitra joined the TMC.
Personal Life
Moitra was married to Danish financier Lars Brorson, with whom she later divorced. She was in a relationship with advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai for about three years. She has no Children.
Controversies
Mahua Moitra has been involved in several controversies throughout her political career.
On Jan 11, 2017, Babul Supriya accused Mahua Moitra and 3 others of defamation in connection with the Rose Valley Chit Fund Scam. He blamed them for falsely accusing him of having close links to the Rose Valley Chit Fund Scam, without giving them any proof of his involvement in the scam.
In 2022, her remarks about Goddess Kali at the India Today Conclave sparked a backlash,
and the TMC distanced itself from her comments. Kali said ” Kali to me is a meat-eating….alcohol eating Goddess…To me, that is Kaali.”
In October 2023, she was accused by politician Nishikant Dubey of taking bribes from businessman Darshan Hiranandani in the form of cash and gifts to ask questions in Parliament, leading to her expulsion from the Lok Sabha in December 2023 . Despite these challenges, she won re-election in June 2024 .
Her personal style and public persona have also attracted attention, particularly when a video of her discreetly moving a Louis Vuitton handbag during a parliamentary session went viral.
On July 4, NCW chief Rekha Sharma visited Hathras to meet the women injured in the tragic stampede that claimed 121 lives. Videos surfaced showing Sharma at the site with someone holding an umbrella for her. This sparked criticism on social media, with users questioning why the NCW chief couldn’t hold the umbrella herself. Reacting to one such post, Mahua Moitra tweeted, “She’s too busy holding up her boss’s pajamas,” targeting Sharma, who is often accused of favoring the BJP-led NDA government.
Conclusion
Mahua Moitra’s political career is marked by her strong oratory skills, commitment to democratic values, and involvement in several high-profile controversies. Despite these challenges, she remains a significant figure in Indian politics, known for her determination and resilience.
