Saumitra Khan
{{short description|Indian Member of Parliament}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Saumitra Khan
| image = Saumitra.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age | 8 December 1980 |df=y}}{{cite web |url =http://loksabhaph.nic.in/Members/MemberBioprofile.aspx?mpsno=4875 |title =Members Bioprofile|publisher =Lok Sabha Secretariat |website =loksabhaph.nic.in|accessdate =19 August 2020}}
| birth_place = Durlabhpur, Bankura district, West Bengal, India
| office1 = Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
| constituency1 = Bishnupur
| term_start1 = 16 May 2014
| term_end1 =
| predecessor1 = Susmita Bauri
| successor1 =
| office2 = Member of Legislative Assembly
| constituency2 = Katulpur
| term_start2 = 2011
| term_end2 = 2014
| predecessor2 = Kalpana Koley
| successor2 = Shyamal Santra
| office3 = West Bengal State President, All India Trinamool Youth Congress
| term_end3 = 5 June 2015
| predecessor3 = Suvendu Adhikari
| successor3 = Abhishek Banerjee
| otherparty = Trinamool Congress (2014-2019)
Indian National Congress (till 2014)
| party = Bharatiya Janata Party (2019-present)
| alma_mater = Panchmura Mahavidyalaya
| website =
| signature = Saumitra Khan Signature.jpg
| footnotes = {{Collapsible list
|titlestyle = background-color:#FCF;text-align:center;
|title = Parliamentary Committee Memberships
|bullets = on
| 2019 onwards: Member, Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
| 2019 onwards: Member, Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture
| 2019 onwards: Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
| 2016 - 2019: Member, Standing Committee on Commerce
| 2014 - 2016: Member, Standing Committee on Energy
| 2014: Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation
}}
}}
Saumitra Khan (born: 8 December 1980) is an Indian politician representing the Bishnupur constituency of West Bengal in the Lok Sabha since 2014. He joined Bharatiya Janata Party in 2019 {{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/trinamool-congress-mp-saumitra-khan-joins-bjp-5530298/|title = Trinamool Congress MP Saumitra Khan joins BJP, party expels him, another MP|date = 4 July 2020}} and currently (as of December 2020) serves as the president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha West Bengal.
Khan started his career with Indian National Congress party and was elected to West Bengal Legislative Assembly from Katulpur constituency. In 2013, he switched to the ruling Trinamool Congress. In the 2014 Indian general election, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Bishnupur constituency. In early 2019, he defected to Bharatiya Janata Party, the ruling party at the centre. Following his defection, a police case was lodged against him for allegedly extorting money from job aspirants. The Kolkata High Court prevented him from entering his constituency. He won with a margin of more than 78,000 votes without even holding any political rally in the area.{{Need Citation|date=June 2024}}
Personal life
Khan was born in a Bengali Hindu family of Shunri jati on 8 December 1980 to Dhanonjoy Khan and Chhaya Rani Khan at Durlabhpur in Bankura district, West Bengal.{{Cite web|title=Is Every Khan A Muslim? BJP MP Saumitra Khan Has Won from Scheduled Caste Reserved Constituency|url=https://old.indiatomorrow.net/eng/is-every-khan-a-muslim-bjp-mp-saumitra-khan-has-won-from-scheduled-caste-reserved-constituency|access-date=2020-12-21|website=IndiaTomorrow.net}} He studied at Panchmura Mahavidyalaya.{{cite web |title=Saumitra Khan |url=https://www.india.gov.in/my-government/indian-parliament/khan-saumitra |publisher=India |accessdate=28 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528152508/https://www.india.gov.in/my-government/indian-parliament/khan-saumitra |archive-date=28 May 2019 |url-status=live }} His wife, Sujata Mondal Khan, joined Trinamool Congress, after Saumitra Khan filed for divorce. On 7 February 2023, with the order of the Hon'ble court of Bankura, he got divorced. This has led to an ongoing controversy in West Bengal politics. Another controversy occurred when he demanded a separate state of Junglemahal state.{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/sujata-khan-bjp-mp-saumitra-khans-wife-joins-tmc-7113434/|title = After wife joins TMC, BJP MP Saumitra Khan says will send divorce notice|date = 25 December 2020}}
Political career
In 2011 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, Khan was elected to the assembly from Katulpur constituency as a candidate of the Indian National Congress party.{{cite web |title=Another Congress lawmaker crosses over to Trinamool |url=https://www.avenuemail.in/bengal/another-congress-lawmaker-crosses-trinamool/18941/ |publisher=Avenue Mail |accessdate=28 May 2019 |date=16 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528134025/https://www.avenuemail.in/bengal/another-congress-lawmaker-crosses-trinamool/18941/ |archive-date=28 May 2019 |url-status=live }} On 12 December 2013, he announced his intention to join the ruling Trinamool Congress party. He alleged that the state Congress unit was ignoring the Bankura district.{{cite web |title='Curious' MLA does U-turn, eyes Trinamul |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/curious-mla-does-u-turn-eyes-trinamul/cid/237692 |publisher=The Telegraph |accessdate=28 May 2019 |date=13 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528134024/https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/curious-mla-does-u-turn-eyes-trinamul/cid/237692 |archive-date=28 May 2019 |url-status=live }} Four days later, he officially joined Trinamool Congress party.
In 2014 Indian general election, Khan was elected to the 16th Lok Sabha from Bishnupur constituency. After getting elected, he said that his priority as an MP would be to develop Bishnupur as a tourist spot and to protect the rights of workers who make Baluchari Sari.{{cite news |title=32 newly elected under-35 MPs & what they intend to do for their constituencies |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/32-newly-elected-under-35-mps-what-they-intend-to-do-for-their-constituencies/articleshow/35569860.cms |newspaper=The Economic Times |accessdate=28 May 2019 |date=25 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328070031/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/32-newly-elected-under-35-mps-what-they-intend-to-do-for-their-constituencies/articleshow/35569860.cms |archive-date=28 March 2019 |url-status=live |last1=Seetharaman |first1=G. |last2=Balasubramanyam |first2=K. R. }} On 9 January 2019, he defected to Bharatiya Janata Party. Subsequently, he was expelled by his former party.{{cite web |title=TMC MP Saumitra Khan joins BJP, party expels him |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/tmc-mp-saumitra-khan-bjp-1427196-2019-01-09 |publisher=India Today |accessdate=28 May 2019 |date=9 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528145508/https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/tmc-mp-saumitra-khan-bjp-1427196-2019-01-09 |archive-date=28 May 2019 |url-status=live }} The Times of India reported that Mukul Roy, who himself defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party played an important role in recruiting Khan.{{cite web |title=TMC says party MP Saumitra Khan who joined BJP already 'expelled' |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/tmc-says-party-mp-saumitra-khan-who-joined-bjp-already-expelled/articleshow/67455698.cms |work=The Times of India |accessdate=28 May 2019 |date=9 January 2019}} The "dynastic rule" in the Trinamool Congress and the political violence in the state were the reasons cited by Khan to switch parties.{{cite news |title=TMC MP Soumitra Khan joins BJP, calls TMC a 'party of aunty and her nephew' |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/trinamool-congress-mp-saumitra-khan-joins-bjp/articleshow/67453080.cms?from=mdr |newspaper=The Economic Times |accessdate=28 May 2019 |date=9 January 2019|last1 = Das|first1 = Madhuparna}}
In February 2019 it was alleged that Khan had extorted money from job aspirants on false promises.{{cite web|url=https://english.kolkata24x7.com/soumitra-khan-cannot-be-arrested-high-court.html/|title=Soumitra Khan Cannot Be Arrested: High Court|date=18 February 2019|publisher=Kolkata 24x7|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528150738/https://english.kolkata24x7.com/soumitra-khan-cannot-be-arrested-high-court.html/|archive-date=28 May 2019|url-status=live|accessdate=28 May 2019}} The Kolkata High Court announced that he could not be arrested though it prevented him from entering Bankura. In the following month, Khan was interrogated by the Bankura police.{{cite web |title=Bishnupur MP grilled for extorting money |url=https://www.asianage.com/metros/kolkata/050319/bishnupur-mp-grilled-for-extorting-money.html |publisher=The Asian Age |accessdate=28 May 2019 |date=5 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528150734/https://www.asianage.com/metros/kolkata/050319/bishnupur-mp-grilled-for-extorting-money.html |archive-date=28 May 2019 |url-status=live }} On 12 April, the Supreme Court of India refused to overturn the ban on him although he was allowed to enter the district for filing his nomination papers.{{cite web |title=SC refuses to vacate Calcutta HC order over Saumitra Khan's 'no-entry' into Bankura |url=https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/sc-refuses-to-vacate-calcutta-hc-order-over-soumitra-khans-no-entry-to-bankura20190412143657/ |publisher=ANI News |accessdate=28 May 2019 |date=12 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528150734/https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/sc-refuses-to-vacate-calcutta-hc-order-over-soumitra-khans-no-entry-to-bankura20190412143657/ |archive-date=28 May 2019 |url-status=live }} In the absence of Khan, his wife Sujata Khan started campaigning for him for the upcoming general election.{{cite web |title=Wife rallies forces after bar |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/wife-rallies-forces-after-bar/cid/1687918 |publisher=The Telegraph |accessdate=28 May 2019 |date=1 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528151345/https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/wife-rallies-forces-after-bar/cid/1687918 |archive-date=28 May 2019 |url-status=live }} Khan managed to win from the same constituency with a margin of 78,047 votes even without holding any roadshow or addressing any political rally.{{cite web |title=After saffron surge in WB, Saumitra Khan exurbes confidence of sweeping assembly polls |url=https://www.aninews.in/news/national/politics/after-saffron-surge-in-wb-saumitra-khan-exudes-confidence-of-sweeping-assembly-polls20190525122636/ |publisher=ANI News |accessdate=28 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528151342/https://www.aninews.in/news/national/politics/after-saffron-surge-in-wb-saumitra-khan-exudes-confidence-of-sweeping-assembly-polls20190525122636/ |archive-date=28 May 2019 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Bengal's Saumitra Khan Couldn't Rally for Himself; Armed With Modi's Pep Talk, His Wife Does the Job |url=https://www.news18.com/news/politics/bjps-lone-muslim-face-couldnt-rally-for-himself-armed-with-modis-pep-talk-his-wife-does-the-job-2161701.html |publisher=News18 |accessdate=28 May 2019 |date=27 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528151345/https://www.news18.com/news/politics/bjps-lone-muslim-face-couldnt-rally-for-himself-armed-with-modis-pep-talk-his-wife-does-the-job-2161701.html |archive-date=28 May 2019 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Bengal BJP leader Saumitra Khan wins Bishnupur Lok Sabha seat despite campaign ban |url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2019/may/25/bengal-bjp-leader-saumitra-khan-wins-bishnupur-lok-sabha-seat-despite-campaign-ban-1981545.html |publisher=The New Indian Express |accessdate=28 May 2019 |date=25 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528151347/http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2019/may/25/bengal-bjp-leader-saumitra-khan-wins-bishnupur-lok-sabha-seat-despite-campaign-ban-1981545.html |archive-date=28 May 2019 |url-status=dead }}
References
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External links
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{{17th LS members from West Bengal}}
{{16th LS members from West Bengal|state=expanded}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Saumitra}}
Category:Lok Sabha members from West Bengal
Category:People from Bankura district
Category:Indian National Congress politicians from West Bengal
Category:Trinamool Congress politicians from West Bengal
Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from West Bengal