Sportsperson-turned-politician Narah gets ministerial berth

Narah, who has been made a Minister of State in Tribal Affairs Ministry, began her political career with Congress in 1995 and became the general secretary, vice-President, and president of the Assam Pradesh Youth Congress in a short span of time.

A mother of two sons, Narah, currently an MP from prestigious Lakhimpur constituency in Upper Assam, was first elected to 12th Lok Sabha from the same constituency in 1998. The 47-year-old again won the Lok Sabha polls in 1999 and 2009.

A graduate from Gauhati University, Narah was active in sports since her college days and represented Assam in volleyball, weightlifting, shot put, discus throw and cricket.

She also captained the Assam's Women cricket team and was a left-arm orthodox bowler and a left-handed batswoman. Narah was the President of the Women's Cricket Association of India.

In 1986, Narah married Bharat Narah, a prominent tribal leader who was a Minister in Assam Gana Parishad (AGP) government. He later joined Congress and held a number of portfolios in two successive governments led by Tarun Gogoi before losing the election in 2011.