DarleneSeamon8 at 18:37, 5 April 2026

2026-04-05T18:37:14Z

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{{Short description|Indian politician and economist}}
[[File:Mrityunjoy_Banerjee_(born_1920).jpg|thumb|right|Mrityunjoy Banerjee]]

'''Mrityunjoy Banerjee''' was an Indian politician and economist. A prolific writer, Banerjee served three terms in the [[West Bengal Legislative Assembly]] and was the Minister of Education in the state government from 1972 to 1977.

==Biography==
He was born on October 1, 1920, in [[Barijhati]] ([[Hooghly District]]).<ref name=klgu>Kanhaya Lal Gupta, ''[https://books.google.at/books?newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&id=8NggH7WlnAUC Educationists in India]''. Tradesman & Men India, 1963. p. 26</ref><ref name=who>''[https://books.google.at/books?newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&id=I78yAAAAMAAJ Who's who 1972: General Election, March 1972]''. West Bengal Legislative Assembly Secretariat, 1974. p. 5</ref> He was the son of Prasanna Kumar Banerjee.<ref name=who/>

Banerjee studied at the [[Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management]].<ref name=mba>Mrityunjoy Banerjee. ''[https://books.google.at/books?id=cqmT3IMrwbQC&pg=PT3 Organization Behaviour]''. Allied Publishers, 1995, back cover</ref> He obtained a M.A. (Economics) degree from [[University of Calcutta]] in 1942, and a LL.B. degree from the University Law College in Calcutta in 1950.<ref name=klgu/><ref name=who/> He was the private secretary of the West Bengal Finance Minister [[Nalini Ranjan Sarkar]] from 1948 to 1952.<ref name=klgu/>

Banerjee worked as a lecturer at the Commerce Department at the University of Calcutta, and as a journalist.<ref name=who/> He served as secretary and president of the [[Rotary Club]] of [[Howrah]].<ref name=who/> He was a renowned economist and authored several books, such as ''The Constitution of Free India'' (1947) and ''Economic Planning for India'' (1947).<ref name=klgu/><ref name=who/><ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/new-mlas-making-their-presence-felt/articleshow/9865914.cms|title=New MLAs making their presence felt|date=September 5, 2011|author=Saibal Sen}}</ref> He was a fellow of the [[Royal Economic Society]] in London, secretary of the Indian Council of Economic Affairs in Calcutta and the general secretary of the Indo-Japanese Association in Calcutta.<ref name=klgu/> He studied at the [[Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business|Graduate School of Business]] of the [[University of Pittsburgh]], and obtained a [[M.B.A.]] degree from there in 1959.<ref name=klgu/><ref name=mba/>

Banerjee was a member of the [[Indian National Congress]], and served as vice president of the [[West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee]].<ref name=who/> He was elected to the [[West Bengal Legislative Assembly]] in the [[1967 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election|1967 election]], standing as the Congress candidate in the [[Shibpur Assembly constituency|Shibpur constituency]].<ref>''[https://books.google.at/books?id=RU7VAAAAMAAJ India, a Reference Annual]''. Research and Reference Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, 1967. p. 487</ref> Banerjee obtained 19,617 votes (37.45%).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20150626132659/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1967/Statistical%20report%20WB1967.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1967 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF WEST BENGAL]''</ref> In the subsequent [[1969 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]], Banerjee contested the [[Panchla Assembly constituency|Panchla seat]], finishing in second place with 2nd 19,601 votes (32.99%).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20150424233756/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1969/StatReport_WB_69.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1969 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF WEST BENGAL]''</ref> He won the [[Howrah Madhya Assembly constituency|Howrah Central seat]] in the [[1972 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]], receiving 25,326 votes (60.28%).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20150509004440/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1972/StatReport_WB_72.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1972 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF WEST BENGAL]''</ref>

Banerjee served as the Minister-in-charge of the Department of Education (excluding Youth Services and Sports Branches) in the West Bengal state government 1972–1977.<ref name=who/><ref name=mba/><ref>Jnanranjan Guha Thakurta, Amal C. Ghatak. ''[https://books.google.at/books?id=8rhKAAAAMAAJ The New Year Book, Vol. 30]''. S.C. Sarkar & Sons Limited, 1972. p. lxvi</ref> He lost the Howrah Central seat in the [[1977 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]], finishing in third place with 10,717 votes (22.18%).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20150508193039/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1977/StatisticalReportWestBengal77.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1977 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF WEST BENGAL]''</ref>

Banerjee returned to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly in the [[1987 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election|1987 election]], being elected from the [[Howrah Dakshin Assembly constituency|Howrah South constituency]] with 41,139 votes (51.96%).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20150425012516/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1987/StatisticalReportWestBengal87.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1987 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF WEST BENGAL]''</ref> He lost the Howrah South seat in the [[1991 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]], finishing in second place with 33,381 votes (40.58%).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20150509064425/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1991/StatisticalReport-West%20Bengal91.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1991 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF WEST BENGAL]''</ref>

==References==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Banerjee, Mrityunjoy}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:State cabinet ministers of West Bengal]]
[[Category:West Bengal MLAs 1967–1969]]
[[Category:West Bengal MLAs 1972–1977]]
[[Category:West Bengal MLAs 1987–1991]]
[[Category:Indian National Congress politicians from West Bengal]]
[[Category:People from Howrah district]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]]
[[Category:University of Pittsburgh alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian economists]]
[[Category:Living people]]

Mrityunjoy Banerjee (economist) - Revision history

DarleneSeamon8 at 18:37, 5 April 2026