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Who is Mahua Moitra?
One of the most prominent faces of the Trinamool Congress in Lok Sabha, Mahua Moitra has made her mark in the national politics with her fiery speeches, especially the one on 'seven early signs of fascism', in the Parliament. A Lok Sabha MP from West Bengal's Krishnanagar seat from 2019 to 2023, Moitra has been given a ticket again by the TMC from the same constituency, which she won the last time by a margin of over 60,000 votes.
Incidentally, Moitra was expelled from her Lok Sabha membership last year after it was recommended by the Parliamentary Committee on Ethics report as she was found guilty by the panel in a 'cash for query' case. However, her supporters alleged the panel's decision was a politically motivated one.
She has previously worked as an investment banker for JPMorgan Chase and has graduated in economics and mathematics in 1998 from Mount Holyoke College South Hadley in Massachusetts, United States. She quit as the vice-president of JPMorgan Chase in 2009 and joined the Congress where she was reportedly one of the trusted hands of Rahul Gandhi. However, in 2010, she joined the TMC and became an MLA from Nadia district in 2016 West Bengal Assembly polls.
Moitra has been at the centre of controversy on several occasions, and in some cases, it even forced her party to officially distance itself from her statements. Once in 2022, Moitra commented on goddess Kali at a conclave hosted by India Today. Her comments caused a huge uproar and FIRs in multiple states were registered against her. Also, Moitra has been a vocal critic of some sections of the media, which has led to her being even getting boycotted by them on a few occasions.
Moitra has been at the centre of controversy on several occasions, and in some cases, it even forced her party to officially distance itself from her statements. Once in 2022, Moitra commented on goddess Kali at a conclave hosted by India Today. Her comments caused a huge uproar and FIRs in multiple states were registered against her. Also, Moitra has been a vocal critic of some sections of the media, which has led to her being even getting boycotted by them on a few occasions.
2024 Lok Sabha elections
Despite her expulsion, the TMC has again fielded Moitra from the Krishnanagar constituency for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Moitra's main opponent in the election was BJP candidate Amrita Roy, a political newcomer who is ‘Rajmata of the Rajbari’ (Queen Mother of the royal palace) of the constituency.
The Krishnanagar constituency recorded a voter turnout of 1,425,712 in 2024 LS polls. Mahua Moitra emerged as the winner of the LS polls with 44.1 per cent of the vote share. While the BJP candidate Roy was able to tough competition to Moitra by securing 40.13 per cent of the voter share in the close election race.