Ranjit Dutta
{{Short description|Indian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Ranjit Dutta
| image = The Vice President, Shri M. Hamid Ansari lighting the lamp at the inaugural function of the 19th National Convention on Knowledge, Library and Information Networking - NACLIN 2016, at Tezpur University, in Assam (cropped).jpg
| caption = Dutta in 2016
| office = Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
| constituency = Tezpur, Assam
| term_start = 2024
| predecessor = Pallab Lochan Das
| office1 = Cabinet Minister, Government of Assam
| term_start1 = 24 May 2016
| term_end1 = 10 May 2021
| 1blankname1 = Chief Minister
| 1namedata1 = Sarbananda Sonowal
| 2blankname1 = Portfolios
| 2namedata1 =
- Sericulture
- Handloom and Textiles
- Irrigation {{small|(2016{{ndash}}2018)}}
- Welfare of Minorities {{small|(2018{{ndash}}2021)}}
| predecessor1 = Bismita Gogoi {{small|(Sericulture, Handloom and Textiles)}}
Chandan Kumar Sarkar {{small|(Irrigation)}}
Sarbananda Sonowal {{small|(Minorities Welfare)}}
| successor1 = Urkhao Gwra Brahma {{small|(Sericulture, Handloom and Textiles)}}
Bhabesh Kalita {{small|(Irrigation)}}
Chandra Mohan Patowary {{small|(Minorities Welfare)}}
| office2 = President, Assam Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party
| term_start2 = 2010
| term_end2 = 2012
| successor2 = Sarbananda Sonowal
| office3 = Member, Assam Legislative Assembly
| term_start3 = 19 May 2016
| term_end3 =
| constituency3 = Behali
| predecessor3 = Pallab Lochan Das
| term_start4 = 2001
| term_end4 = 2011
| successor4 = Pallab Lochan Das
| constituency4 = Behali
| spouse = {{marriage|Gita Dutta|1 May 1991}}
| party = Bharatiya Janata Party
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1957|1|24}}
| birth_place = Hatibondha, Biswanath district, Assam
| parents = Kuladhar Dutta (Father)
Labanya Dutta (Mother)
| alma_mater = Darrang College
}}
Ranjit Dutta (born 24 January 1957) is an Indian politician from the state of Assam. He is presently a Member of Parliament since 2024.{{Cite web |title=Ranjit Dutta, BJP Candidate from Sonitpur Lok Sabha Election 2024 Seat: Electoral History & Political Journey, Winning or Losing - News18 Lok Sabha Election 2024 Result News |url=https://www.news18.com/elections/lok-sabha/assam/ranjit-dutta-s03led2023p011e2024c006/ |access-date=2025-03-01 |website=www.news18.com |language=en}} He was a minister in the Sarbananda Sonowal-led government from 2016 to 2021.[http://www.assamassembly.gov.in/mla-2016.html MEMBERS OF 14th ASSAM LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY]{{Cite web |date=2021-06-27 |title=Assam Legislative Assembly - Member |url=http://assamassembly.gov.in/ranjit-dutta.html |access-date=2022-05-30 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210627214457/http://assamassembly.gov.in/ranjit-dutta.html |archive-date=27 June 2021 |url-status=dead}}{{cite news |last1=India Today |date=13 July 2024 |title=Ex-legislators {{!}} In the major league now |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/18th-lok-sabha-the-debutants/story/20240722-ex-legislators-in-the-major-league-now-2565848-2024-07-13 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240806121923/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/18th-lok-sabha-the-debutants/story/20240722-ex-legislators-in-the-major-league-now-2565848-2024-07-13 |archivedate=6 August 2024 |accessdate=6 August 2024 |language=en}}
Early life and education
Dutta was born in Hatibondha, Biswanath. His late father was Kuladhar Dutta and his late mother was Labanya Dutta. He completed his higher Secondary from Darrang College, Tezpur in the year 1974.{{Cite web |date=2021-03-18 |title=Ranjit Dutta from Behali: Early Life, Controversy & Political Career - Sentinelassam |url=https://www.sentinelassam.com/assam-election-2021/candidates/phase1/ranjit-dutta-from-behali-early-life-controversy-political-career-529252 |access-date=2022-05-30 |website=www.sentinelassam.com |language=en}}
Political career
Dutta served as an MLA of Behali Assembly constituency representing the Bharatiya Janata Party from 2001 to 2011 and for another two terms in 2016 and 2021 before he resigned and contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
In 2001, he obtained 33,348 votes, 50.65% of the total vote in the election. He defeated the incumbent congress MLA, Barnabash Tanti, who had been serving for the past 10 years, by 13,529 votes.{{Cite web |title=Behali Assembly Constituency Election Result - Legislative Assembly Constituency |url=https://resultuniversity.com/election/behali-assam-assembly-constituency#2001 |access-date=2022-05-30 |website=resultuniversity.com}}
He retained the seat in the 2006 Assam Legislative Assembly election. He polled 28,633 votes and defeated his nearest opponent, a Congress candidate, by 8979 votes.
In the 2011 Assam Legislative Assembly election, he received 22662 votes, 28.02% of the total vote, but lost to Congress candidate and future Lok Sabha MP Pallab Lochan Das, by 18136 votes.
In the 2016 Assam Legislative Assembly election, he regained the Behali seat as a BJP candidate. He received 52152 votes, 56.2% of the total vote and defeated his nearest opponent, a congress candidate, by 23601 votes.
He was inducted into the Sonowal cabinet as minister for handloom, welfare of minorities, textiles and sericulture. He was sworn in as a cabinet minister on 24 May 2016 at Guwahati.{{Cite web |date=2016-05-24 |title=Sarbananda Sonowal takes oath as Assam's chief minister in presence of BJP bigwigs |url=https://www.firstpost.com/photos/sarbanda-sonowal-takes-oath-as-assams-chief-minister-in-presence-of-bjp-bigwigs-2797078.html |access-date=2022-05-30 |website=Firstpost |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=May 24, 2016 |title=Sarbananda Sonowal takes oath as first BJP CM of Assam, PM Modi attends ceremony |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/sarbananda-sonowal-takes-oath-as-assam-cm-pm-modi-attends-ceremony-325276-2016-05-24 |access-date=2022-05-30 |website=India Today |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2016-05-24 |title=As it happened: Sarbananda Sonowal takes oath as Assam CM |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/assembly-elections/live-sarbananda-sonowal-takes-oath-as-assam-cm/story-1PtCOvy8zvl0s5eyIG320J.html |access-date=2022-05-30 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}
In the 2021 Assam Legislative Assembly election, he sought reelection. He received 53583 votes, 50.93% of the total vote. He defeated his nearest opponent by 29839 votes. He was not inducted into the Sarma Ministry.
In 2024, he won from the Sonitpur Lok Sabha constituency representing the Bharatiya Janata Party.{{Cite web |title=Ranjit Dutta, Bharatiya Janata Party Representative for Sonitpur, Assam - Candidate Overview {{!}} 2024 Lok Sabha Elections |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/lok-sabha-elections/assam/sonitpur/candidateshow/ranjit-dutta-7892 |access-date=2025-03-01 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}
Personal life
References
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Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Assam
Category:State cabinet ministers of Assam