Monday, 17th November, 2008
Death Ajit Kumar Panja, the former former Union Minister of India and a senior Trinamool Congress leader died of oral cancer at a private hospital in Kolkata on Friday morning, November 14. He was 72 years old and has been survived by a son and a daughter. He had been elected Member of Parliament six times. He was given the charge of various key portfolios in the governments of Rajiv Gandhi, P V Narasimha Rao and Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the centre. He was Union Information and Broadcasting Minister in the governments of late Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi and P V Narasimha Rao. He also has held different portfolios such as Planning, Food and Supplies and Finance. He also had served as Minister of State for External Affairs in PM Atal Behari Vajpayee’s government.
Political Career Born on September 13, 1936 in Calcutta he graduated in law from the Scottish Church College Cacutta and at the Lincoln’s Inn. He worked as a lawyer for some years and had authored many books. He was also a stage actor. He was elected first time in 1971 for the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. He again was elected in 1982. He also had served at some key positions in the All India Congress Committee. He was, first time, elected to the 8th Sabha in 1984 on a Congress ticket. He was elected for six times for the Lok Sabha from Northeast Calcutta Lok Sabha seat in a row in 1989, 1991, 1996, 1998 and 1999. In 2001, when Mamta Benerjee had deserted Congress and had formed her own party, Trinamool Congress, Ajit Panja had joined it and had been elected Member of Parliament from West Bengal on a Trinamool Congress Party ticket. When Trinamool Congress had joined NDA he had served as Minister of state for External Affairs in the Vajpayee government.
Battle He was the leader whom people loved for his social commitments. He had started his political career from the ‘ground level’ and had risen to the top. He had served as cabinet minister of judiciary and parliamentary affairs, health and family planning in the Congress led West Bengal government of S.S. Ray. But his political career was cut short by oral cancer. He was treated for his pancreatic cancer in US and had returned to India a few months back. But his condition deteriorated and he finally lost his five-year old battle with cancer.
