Birth : 5 January 1955 in Kolkata,West Bengal , India
Father – Promileswar Banerjee, Mother – Gayatri Banerjee
Education: Completed graduation with honours in history from Jogamaya Devi College in south
Kolkata. She earned a master’s degree in Islamic History from the University of Calcutta. This
was followed by a degree in education from Shri Shikshayatan College. Later, she got a law degree
from Jogesh Chandra Chaudhuri Law College, Kolkata.
Later she earned a master’s degree in Islamic History from the University of Calcutta. This was
followed by a degree in education from the Shri Shikshayatan College. Later, she earned a law
degree from the Jogesh Chandra Chaudhuri Law College, Kolkata.
Major Moments:
Started political career with Congress (I) in the early 1970s, General Secretary of state Mahila
Congress (I) from 1976 to 1980.
In the 1984, elected to Lok Sabha as one of the youngest parliamentarians, beating veteran
Somnath Chatterjee from the Jadavpur in South Kolkata, became the General-Secretary of the All
India Youth Congress.
Lost election in 1989, returned to Lok Sabha in 1991 by shifting to Kolkata South constituency,
was made the Union Minister of State for HRD, Youth Affairs and Sports, and Women & Child
Development.
In 1991, Banerjee fractured her head in an attacked by a CPI-M goon Lalu Alam. The incident took
place at Hazra crossing in southern part of Kolkata when Banerjee was leading a Congress rally.
In 1993, Banerjee was physically hackled and thrown out of state secretariat Writers’ Buildings
by the police for protesting in front of the then chief minister Jyoti Basu’s office.
In April 1996, she alleged Congress was behaving as a stooge of the CPI (M) in West Bengal, and
demanded to "clean Congress".
In 1997, resigned from Congress, established All India Trinamool Congress.
In December 1998, she controversially held a Samajwadi Party MP, Daroga Prasad Saroj, by the
collar and dragged him out of the well of the Lok Sabha to prevent him from protesting against
the Women’s Reservation bill.[14]
In 1999, joined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, allocated the Railways
Ministry. In 2000, in her first Railway Budget, introduced a lot of new express trains in West
Bengal.
In 2000, Trinamool Congress took over the reigns of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, with Subrata
Mukherjee as the Mayor.
In early 2001, she walked out of the NDA cabinet and allied with the Congress for the state
assembly elections to topple the Left Front government, but failed as the alliance won only 86
seats.
In 2004 Lok Sabha elections, she was the only Trinamool Congress member to win a seat from West
Bengal.
In August 2004, Banerjee had fractured second and third ribs of her right cage during a dais
collapse incident at Gopiballavpur in West Midnapore district. The accident occurred when she was
addressing an anti-Left Front rally.
In October 2005, she protested against the industrialization policy of the Left Front government
in West Bengal and protested against the entry of Indonesia-based Salim Group’s interest in the
state.
In 2005, Trinamool Congress lost control of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and the Mayor
Subrata Mukherjee defected to Congress.
In 2006, Trinamool Congress could win only 30 seats in the state assembly election. On 4 August
2006, hurled her resignation paper at the deputy speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal in Lok Sabha as
her adjournment motion on infiltration by Bangladeshis in West Bengal was not allowed.
In 2007, launched campaign to stop a chemical hub (SEZ) at Nandigram in East Midnapore district,
resulting in killing of 14 villagers in police firing. Trinamool Congress staged blockade,
protests and strikes. The Left Front government shelved the proposed chemical hub project.
Mamata Banerjee gained a huge political benefit from Nandigram, performed better in Panchayat
election in 2008, and won two Zilla Parishads.
In 2008, drew international media attention by stopping Tata Motors’ dream Nano (the cheapest car
in the world) project at Singur in Hooghly district over land acquisition controversy.
Towards the end of 2008, took active part in extending support to the uprising against police
atrocities at Lalgarh in West Midnapore district. Left Front accuses her of working in tandem
with Maoists.
Trinamool Congress shook Left Front’s foundation in Lok Sabha election in 2009, bagging 19 MP
seats. Its allies Congress and SUCI also got 6 and 1 MP seats respectively. Mamata Banerjee takes
over as Railway Minister.
On May 28, 2010, derailment of Jnaneswari Express near Jhargram in West Midnapore district,
killing 149 people, Mamata Banerjee alleges that the sabotage a handiwork of ruling CPI (M),
demands CBI inquiry.
In June 2010, Trinamool Congress fought municipal election alone (without alliance with
Congress), and registered a landslide victory.
In August 2010, surprised everyone when she said at a public meeting in Lalgarh, the Maoist
heartland that Comrade Azad was killed in cold-blood, and toe Maoist demand for an inquiry into
the killing.
In August 2010, a truck hit a vehicle in the convoy of railway minister Mamata Banerjee at
Kolaghat in East Midnapore when she was returning from West Midnapore’s Lalgarh after addressing
a rally.
In May 13,2011, she led the TMC-Congress alliance to a landslide victory in the West Bengal
assembly elections and is slated to lead the first non-left government in West Bengal after 34
years.
Favourite Pastimes and Recreation : Writing books and songs; painting and music
Marital Status : Unmarried
Other Information : Represented the country in (i) in U.N. General Assembly; (ii) as a woman parliamentarian at World Women Round Table Conference, Russia; and (iii) World Youth Conference, Vietnam; attended the Working Women Conference of ILO and ICFTU at Kuala Lumpur; observed Dharna in 1995 for 21 days to restore Human Rights; protested against atrocities on women and lock up deaths in the country, specially in West Bengal.
Source :
Wikipedia
All India Trinamol Congress Website
India Today
India Govt Website