Prafulla Kumar Mahanta

Prafulla Kumar Mahanta Biography

Prafulla Kumar Mahanta is an Indian politician and former chief minister of Assam for two terms in 1985–1990 and 1996–2001. He completed both the terms for 5 years. The leader of the Assam Movement, he currently serves as President of the Asom Gana Parishad, a regional party within Assam state politics. During his academic years when he was quite active in students’ politics, he was the president of the All Assam Students Union, an organization that spearheaded the Assam Movement. His wife Dr. Joyasree Goswami Mahanta is also a politician from Assam.

He was born on 23 December 1952 in Uluoni, Assam. His wife Dr. Joyasree Goswami Mahanta is a former parliamentarian who represented Rajya Sabha, and the couple has two children. She is an Assamese writer and educationalist, who has been awarded India's fourth highest civilian award the Padma Shri most recently in 2018. Prafulla has been active in politics since his academy years. He also served as president of the All Assam Students Union. He terminated his long-term association with the organization only in 2005.

He remained an influential leader in regional politics. He has got into a few controversies in his political career. It was alleged that he organized secret killing of families of ULFA members and it was documented in the report by the Saikia Commission, which resulted in the missing of his party leadership. However he was re-inducted into the AGP and he retained the power within the party. Once in a TV interview he alleged that some unknown agencies of the Congress Party had conspired in massacres during the Assam Movement in the early 1980s. He was elected as the Leader of Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly in 2010.

Published: January 14, 2019

Updated: January 14, 2019