{{short description|Indian politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Use Indian English|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Ajanta Neog | native_name = | image = Ajanta Neog, BJP MLA Assam.png | caption = Neog in 2020 | image_size = 180 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1964|1|1}} | birth_place = Guwahati, Assam, India | office = Cabinet Minister, Assam | term_start = 10 May 2021 | term_end = | 1blankname = Chief Minister | 1namedata = Himanta Biswa Sarma | 2blankname = Portfolios | 2namedata = {{bulleted list|Finance|Social Welfare {{small|(2021–22)}}|Women and Child Development {{small|(2022–present)}}}} | predecessor = {{ubl|Himanta Biswa Sarma {{small|(Finance)}}|Pramila Rani Brahma {{small|(Social Welfare)}}}} | term_start1 = 21 May 2006 | term_end1 = 24 May 2016 | 1blankname1 = Chief Minister | 1namedata1 = Tarun Gogoi | 2blankname1 = Portfolios | 2namedata1 = {{bulleted list|Social Welfare, Jails {{small|(2006–08)}}|Public Works Development {{small|(2008–2016)}}|Technical Education {{small|(2008)}}|Urban Development and Housing {{small|(2011–15)}}|Guwahati Development {{small|(2012–16)}}|Planning and Development, Judicial, Legislative and Law {{small|(2015–16)}}}} | predecessor1 = {{ubl|Gautam Roy {{small|(SW, Jails)}}|Tarun Gogoi {{small|(PWD, GDD)}}|Dinesh Prasad Goala {{small|(UD&H)}}|Tanka Bahadur Rai {{small|(Planning, etc.)}}}} | successor1 = {{ubl|Akon Bora {{small|(SW, Jails)}}|Parimal Suklabaidya {{small|(PWD)}}|Sumitra Patir {{small|(UD&H)}}|Himanta Biswa Sarma {{small|(Planning, etc.)}}}}
| office2 = Minister of State, Assam | term_start2 = 7 June 2002 | term_end2 = 21 May 2006 | 1blankname2 = Chief Minister | 1namedata2 = Tarun Gogoi | 2blankname2 = Portfolios | 2namedata2 = {{bulleted list|Food and Civil Supplies|Tourism}}
| office3 = Member, Assam Legislative Assembly | term_start3 = 13 May 2001 | term_end3 = | constituency3 = Golaghat | predecessor3 = Atul Bora
| spouse = {{marriage|Nagen Neog||1996|end={{abbr|d.|died}}}} | party = Bharatiya Janata Party {{small|(since 2020)}} | other_party = Indian National Congress {{small|(until 2020)}} | relations = | children = 2 sons | alma_mater = Gauhati University (M.A.), LL.B, LL.M | occupation = Politician | profession = | signature = | website = | footnotes = | parents = Rebati Das (mother) }}
'''Ajanta Neog''' (born 1964) is an Indian politician who is currently serving as the Minister of Finance and Women and Child Development in the Government of Assam since May 2021.<ref>{{cite web |title=ASSAM: FINAL LIST OF COUNCIL OF MINISTERS |url=https://guwahatitimes.com/assam-final-list-of-council-of-ministers-2/ |website=Guwahati Times |date=11 May 2021}}</ref> She is the first woman Finance Minister of Assam.<ref>{{Cite web|date=11 May 2021|title=Assam CM allots portfolios to ministers; keeps home, PWD, personnel with self|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/assam-cm-allots-portfolios-to-ministers-keeps-home-pwd-personnel-with-self-101620735446583.html|access-date=11 May 2021|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref> She has been representing the Golaghat Assembly seat consecutively for the past five terms since 2001.<ref>{{Cite web |date=31 August 2021 |title=Who's Who |url=http://www.assamassembly.gov.in/ajanta-neog.html |access-date=22 May 2022 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831121959/http://www.assamassembly.gov.in/ajanta-neog.html |archive-date=31 August 2021 |url-status=dead}}</ref> She also holds the record for being the longest-serving female legislator of Assam.<ref>{{Cite web|date=11 May 2021|title=Assam Gets Its First Woman Finance Minister as CM Himanta Gives Portfolio to 5-time MLA Ajanta Neog|url=https://www.news18.com/news/politics/ajanta-neog-assam-first-woman-finance-minister-himanta-biswa-sarma-3728477.html|access-date=13 May 2021|website=www.news18.com|language=en}}</ref>
Currently, she is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party which she joined in December 2020.
== Early life and education == Ajanta Neog was born in Guwahati to late Sasadhar Das and late Rebati Das. Her mother Rebati Das, was a former Member of the Assam Legislative Assembly representing Jalukbari constituency.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jalukbari Election Results 2016, Candidate list, Winner, Runner-up and Current MLAs|url=https://www.elections.in/assam/assembly-constituencies/jalukbari.html|access-date=31 August 2021|website=Elections in India}}</ref> She completed MA, LLB and LLM from Gauhati University and is an alumna of Handique Girls College.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Platinum Jubilee - Handique Girls' College contents|url=https://www.hgcollege.edu.in/voice-of-handique/platinum-jubilee/|access-date=21 February 2022|website=Handique Girls' College|language=en-US|archive-date=21 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220221221953/https://www.hgcollege.edu.in/voice-of-handique/platinum-jubilee/|url-status=dead}}</ref> After completing her education, she practised law as an advocate at Gauhati High Court for a few years.
== Indian National Congress == She was first elected to the Assembly in 2001 after defeating her nearest rival by over 10000 votes.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.elections.in/assam/assembly-constituencies/golaghat.html|title = Golaghat Elections and Results 2016, Candidate list, Current and Previous MLAs|website = www.elections.in|access-date = 26 April 2016}}</ref> She was again victorious in the subsequent election held in 2006. In the 2011 assembly elections she won by a huge margin of 46171 votes. Consecutively, she won the 2016 assembly elections despite a 'BJP Wave' in upper Assam where a vast majority of the Congress candidates were defeated. She held the position of Minister for Public Works Department (Roads and Building, National Highways), Urban Development and Housing,<ref>{{cite web |title=Smti. Ajanta Neog - Assam Legislative Assembly |url=http://assamassembly.gov.in/ajanta-neog-2011.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180106075403/http://assamassembly.gov.in/ajanta-neog-2011.html |archive-date=6 January 2018 |access-date=2 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.assamtimes.org/node/12891|title=Ajanta retains PWD, Nazrul gets health|date=26 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/14member-new-tarun-gogoi-ministry-sworn-in-by-assam-governor-acharya/article6815092.ece|title=14-member new Assam Ministry sworn in|newspaper=The Hindu|date=23 January 2015|last1=Talukdar|first1=Sushanta}}</ref> and had been in the last three Cabinets.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.firstpost.com/politics/gogoi-allocates-portfolios-to-new-assam-ministers-2065151.html|title=Gogoi allocates portfolios to new Assam ministers|date=26 January 2015}}</ref> She was also given the additional charge of Minister for Planning and Development, Judicial, Legislative, Pension & Public Grievance in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|date=26 January 2015|title=Gogoi allocates portfolios to new Assam ministers|url=https://www.firstpost.com/politics/gogoi-allocates-portfolios-to-new-assam-ministers-2065151.html|access-date=31 August 2021|website=Firstpost}}</ref> She was conferred with the Golaghat Ratna award by the United Chamber of Commerce, Golaghat.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://eastern-today.com/entries/assam/minister-ajanta-neog-conferred-with-golaghat-ratna-award-|title = Minister Ajanta Neog Conferred with |website = eastern-today.com|access-date = 26 April 2016}}</ref>
During her tenure as the PWD minister, Assam achieved huge success in infrastructure development. Assam was adjudged the "Best Infrastructure Development State" in the big state category in the 13th States Conclave by the India Today Group held on 6 November 2015. Assam was adjudged the best State in Infrastructure Development because it had registered a 17 per cent increase in the length of paved road from 2011 to 2013–14, whereas the national average for the same period was four per cent.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/pti-feed/story/assam-bags-best-infrastructure-development-state-award-509505-2015-11-06|title=Assam bags best Infrastructure Development State Award|website=indiatoday.intoday.in|date=6 November 2015 |access-date=29 April 2016}}</ref>
== Bharatiya Janata Party == In December 2020, Ajanta Neog along with Rajdeep Goala (both incumbent legislators) joined the Bharatiya Janata Party after being expelled from Indian National Congress for their alleged "anti-party" activities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/former-congress-leaders-ajanta-neog-rajdeep-gowala-join-bjp/articleshow/80023900.cms|title=Former Congress leaders Ajanta Neog & Rajdeep Gowala joined BJP|website=Times of India|date=30 December 2020 |access-date=24 March 2021}}</ref> She called her former party ‘vision less’ and disconnected from people while speaking to reporters. She also said that she is joining the BJP to protect the interest of the indigenous people of Assam from the ‘unholy’ alliance of the Congress Party and AIUDF.
She subsequently won the 2021 Assembly election from the Golaghat constituency on a BJP ticket defeating her nearest rival from the Congress party. With this victory, she became an MLA for the 5th consecutive term from Golaghat constituency.[https://results.eci.gov.in/Result2021/ConstituencywiseS0395.htm?ac=95] She was inducted into the Himanta Biswa Sarma cabinet as the Finance Minister creating history by being the first woman to hold the finance portfolio in the state.
In the 2026 Assam Assembly elections, Ajanta Neog secured a commanding victory from Golaghat Assembly Constituency (No. 103), reaffirming the growing dominance of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Upper Assam. With an impressive tally of 1,02,212 votes, Neog defeated Bitupan Saikia of the Indian National Congress by a huge margin of 43,759 votes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Golaghat election results 2026: BJP's Ajanta Neog defeats Congress's Bitupan Saikia |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/golaghat-election-results-2026-bjps-ajanta-neog-vs-congresss-bitupan-saikia/articleshow/130635519.cms |website=The Times of India |publisher=The Times of India |access-date=14 May 2026}}</ref> The emphatic mandate reflected strong public confidence in her leadership, governance record, and the BJP’s expanding grassroots support across the region.
== Electoral history ==
{| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Constituency ! colspan="2" |Party ! Votes ! % ! colspan="3" |Opponent ! Result ! Margin |- | 2001 | rowspan="6"| Golaghat | {{party name with color|Indian National Congress|rowspan=4}} | 52,134 | 55.1% | rowspan="2"| Atul Bora | {{party name with color|Asom Gana Parishad|rowspan=3}} | {{won}} | {{yes2|10,930}} |- | 2006 | 66,072 | 53.2% | {{won}} | {{yes2|16,202}} |- | 2011 | 79,648 | 64.9% | Amiyo Kumar Borah | {{won}} | {{yes2|46,171}} |- | 2016 | 73,862 | 50.8% | rowspan="3"| Bitupan Saikia | {{party name with color|Bharatiya Janata Party}} | {{won}} | {{yes2|5,213}} |- | 2021 | {{party name with color|Bharatiya Janata Party|rowspan=2}} | 81,651 | 51.3% | {{party name with color|Indian National Congress|rowspan=2}} | {{won}} | {{yes2|9,325}} |- | 2026 | 1,02,212 | 50.75% | {{won}} | {{yes2|43,759}} |- |}
== Personal life == Ajanta Neog was married to Karmashree Nagen Neog who was killed along with eight others by the outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam in 1996. Her husband was a former minister and belonged to the Chutia ethnic group. She has two sons.<ref>{{cite web |title=Four-time MLA Ajanta Neog becomes the first woman Finance Minister of Assam |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/assembly-elections/assam/four-time-mla-ajanta-neog-becomes-the-first-woman-finance-minister-of-assam/low-women-numbers/slideshow/82569888.cms |website=The Economic Times}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist|2}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Neog, Ajanta}} Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Assam Category:Assam MLAs 2001–2006 Category:Assam MLAs 2006–2011 Category:Assam MLAs 2011–2016 Category:Assam MLAs 2016–2021 Category:State cabinet ministers of Assam Category:Women members of the Assam Legislative Assembly Category:Living people Category:Politicians from Guwahati Category:People from Golaghat Category:21st-century Indian women politicians Category:Women state cabinet ministers of India Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Assam Category:Assam MLAs 2021–2026 Category:1964 births Category:Assam MLAs 2026–2031