Sonali Guha
{{Short description|Indian politician (born 1968)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image =
| office = Member of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly
| term_start = 2001
| term_end = 2021
| constituency = Satgachhia
| predecessor = Jyoti Basu
| successor = Mohan Chandra Naskar
| office1 = Deputy Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly
| primeminister1 =
| term_start1 = 2011
| term_end1 = 2016
| predecessor1 =
| successor1 =
| office2 =
| primeminister2 =
| term_start2 =
| term_end2 =
| predecessor2 =
| successor2 =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|12|27|df=y}}
| birth_place =
| occupation = Politician
| children =
| party = Bharatiya Janata Party
|otherparty = All India Trinamool Congress
| alma_mater =
| profession =
| nationality = Indian
| sibling =
| website =
}}
Sonali Guha (born 27 December 1968) is an Indian politician from the state of West Bengal. Guha is a Bharatiya Janata Party politician. She was elected to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly from Satgachhia for four terms to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly and was the first female deputy speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly as a member of the Trinamool Congress. Later she joined Bharatiya Janata Party after she was denied a ticket to contest the 2021 assembly elections.{{cite web | url=https://theprint.in/politics/mamata-banerjees-close-associate-sonali-guha-4-other-trinamool-mlas-join-bjp/617901/ | title=Mamata Banerjee’s close associate Sonali Guha, 4 other Trinamool MLAs join BJP | publisher=The Print | date=8 March 2021 | accessdate=22 May 2021}} Now she is again interested to join TMC after the West Bengal Legislative Assembly Elections 2021 results.{{cite web | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/wont-be-able-to-live-without-didi-bjps-sonali-guha-wants-to-rejoin-trinamool-congress/articleshow/82858088.cms | title='Won't be able to live without Didi': BJP's Sonali Guha wants to rejoin Trinamool Congress | publisher=The Times of India | date=22 May 2021 | accessdate=22 May 2021}}
Early life and education
Sonali Guha was born 27 December 1968 in Kolkata.{{cite web | url=http://www.wbassembly.gov.in/MLA_WhosWho.aspx | title=Sonali Guha | publisher=wbassembly.gov.in | accessdate=27 December 2017}} She attended the University of Calcutta and graduated in science from Charuchandra College.
Political career
Guha took to politics at an early age and was a close aide to Mamata Banerjee. Between 2001 and 2003, on instructions from Mamata Banerjee, Guha intervened in the defense of squatters that were being evicted from the banks of Tolly's Nullah and Gobindapur railway colony.
Guha was first elected to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly in 2001 from the Satgachhia (Vidhan Sabha constituency) on an All India Trinamool Congress ticket. She defeated Gokul Bairagi of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) by about 6,000 votes.{{Cite web |url=http://elections.traceall.in/vidhan-sabha-assembly-election-results/Satgachhia-in-West-Bengal |title=Satgachhia Vidhan sabha assembly election results in West Bengal |website=elections.traceall.in |language=en |access-date=27 December 2017}} Her victory was significant as the seat had been held for five terms by Chief Minister Jyoti Basu, since 1977, but Basu decided not to contest the 2001 election for health reasons.{{cite web | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Bengal-to-get-its-first-woman-deputy-speaker/articleshow/8605722.cms | title=Bengal to get its first woman deputy speaker | publisher=Times of India | accessdate=27 December 2017}}
In the 2006 assembly election Guha defeated Kabita Kayal of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) by about 6,000 votes. She was elected as the first woman deputy speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly.
Guha was re-elected to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly in 2011. This time her opponent was Barun Naskar from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), whom she defeated by about 18,000 votes.
In the 2016 assembly election, Guha won the Satgachhia (Vidhan Sabha constituency) seat for the fourth time, defeating Paramita Ghosh of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) by about a margin of 17,500 votes.{{Cite web |url=http://elections.traceall.in/vidhan-sabha-assembly-election-results/Satgachia-in-West-Bengal |title=Satgachia Vidhan sabha assembly election results in West Bengal |website=elections.traceall.in |language=en |access-date=27 December 2017}}
Personal life
References
{{Reflist}}
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Category:West Bengal MLAs 2001–2006
Category:West Bengal MLAs 2006–2011
Category:West Bengal MLAs 2011–2016
Category:West Bengal MLAs 2016–2021
Category:Trinamool Congress politicians from West Bengal
Category:Charuchandra College alumni
Category:University of Calcutta alumni
Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from West Bengal
Category:Deputy speakers of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly
Category:Women members of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly