{{short description|Indian politician (born 1944)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Use Indian English|date=October 2019}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Sovandeb Chattopadhyay | image = Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay - Kolkata 2023-03-29 4888.jpg | caption = Chattopadhyay in March 2023 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1944|1|30}} | birth_place = Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India<br>(present-day Kolkata, West Bengal, India) | death_date = | death_place = | office = 13th Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly | term_start = 9 May 2026 | governor = R. N. Ravi | deputy = Nayna Bandyopadhyay<br />Ashima Patra | predecessor = Suvendu Adhikari | successor = | office1 = Minister of Legislative Affairs of West Bengal<br />Deputy Leader of the House in West Bengal Legislative Assembly | term_start1 = 5 August 2022 | term_end1 = 7 May 2026 | 1blankname1 = Chief Minister | 1namedata1 = Mamata Banerjee | predecessor1 = Partha Chatterjee | office2 = Minister of Agriculture of West Bengal | 1blankname2 = Chief Minister | 1namedata2 = Mamata Banerjee | term_end2 = 7 May 2026 | term_start2 = 10 May 2021 | predecessor2 = Asish Banerjee | office3 = Minister of Power and Non-Conventional Energy of West Bengal | 1blankname3 = Chief Minister | 1namedata3 = Mamata Banerjee | term_start3 = 27 May 2016 | term_end3 = 7 May 2021 | predecessor3 = Manish Gupta | successor3 = Aroop Biswas | office4 = Chief Whip of the Government of West Bengal | term_start4 = 20 May 2011 | term_end4 = 27 May 2016 | leader4 = Mamata Banerjee | predeccessor4 = | successor4 = Nirmal Ghosh | office5 = Member of West Bengal Legislative Assembly | term_start5 = 19 June 1991 | subterm6 = 2026–present | suboffice6 = Ballygunge | subterm7 = 2021–2026{{efn|Elected in a by-election in November 2021.}} | suboffice7 = Khardaha | subterm8 = 2021{{efn|Resigned on 21 May 2021.}} | suboffice8 = Bhabanipur | subterm9 = 1998–2021 | suboffice9 = Rashbehari | subterm10 = 1991–1998 | suboffice10 = Baruipur Paschim | office11 = Editor of Jago Bangla | term_start11 = 17 September 2024 | term_end11 = | predecessor11 = Sukhendu Shekhar Roy | successor11 = | party = 25px All India Trinamool Congress (since 1998) | other_party = Indian National Congress (1976–1998) | spouse = Supriya Chattopadhyay | children = 2 sons | alma_mater = University of Calcutta (B.Sc., LL.B.) | faculty = | website = | date = | year = | source = }}
'''Sovandeb Chattopadhyay ''' (born 30 January 1944) is an Indian politician representing the Trinamool Congress and is the first elected MLA of the party (elected in 1998). He was the founder president of INTTUC, the labour wing of Trinamool Congress. He is currently the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly.
== Life and career == He is one of the close associates of Mamata Banerjee since mid 80s and was a prominent face in her fights against CPI(M). He is also one of the founding members of Trinamool Congress in 1998.
He was the Government Chief Whip of his first TMC government in the West Bengal Vidhan Sabha from 2011 to 2016. On 27 May 2016 he took charge as the Hon'ble Minister of Power & Non Conventional Energy, Government of West Bengal.<ref>{{cite news| url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110516/jsp/frontpage/story_13987791.jsp | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110525130541/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110516/jsp/frontpage/story_13987791.jsp | url-status = dead | archive-date = 25 May 2011 |title = Mamata issues model code Dos and don'ts for Trinamul ranks | newspaper =The Telegraph |access-date = 2011-05-19 |location=Calcutta, India |first=Arnab |last=Ganguly |date=16 May 2011}}</ref>
A boxer in his younger days, he is a veteran trade union leader, holding degrees in science and law.<ref name=statesman>{{cite web| url = http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=366651:a-one-sided-contest-more-than-ever-before&catid=73:kolkata-plus&from_page=search |title = A one-sided contest more than ever before |work =The Statesman 19 April 2011 | first= Tirthankar| last= Mitra|access-date = 2011-05-22 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110516/jsp/calcutta/story_13987653.jsp | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110929164730/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110516/jsp/calcutta/story_13987653.jsp | url-status = dead | archive-date = 29 September 2011 |title = DIAL M FOR MLA | newspaper = The Telegraph |access-date = 2011-05-22 |location=Calcutta, India |date=16 May 2011}}</ref> He is president of Kolkata Auto Rickshaw Operators' Union.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=340606:strike-may-bring-city-to-a-standstill-today&catid=72:bengal-plus&from_page=search |title = Strike may bring city to a standstill today |work =The Statesman 6 September 2010 |access-date = 2011-05-22 }}</ref> He previously worked in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation as an employee.
He won the Baruipur seat as a Congress candidate in 1991 and 1996<ref name=vidhansabha1991>{{cite web| url = http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1991/StatisticalReport-West%20Bengal91.pdf|title = General Elections, India, 1991, to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal | work= Constituency-wise Data|publisher= Election Commission | access-date = 1 November 2014}}</ref><ref name=vidhansabha1996>{{cite web| url = http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1996/StatisticalReport-UP96.pdf |title = General Elections, India, 1996, to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal | work= Constituency-wise Data|publisher= Election Commission | access-date = 1 November 2014}}</ref> and as a Trinamool Congress candidate won the Rasbehari seat in 2001 and 2006.<ref name=vidhansabha2001>{{cite web| url =http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_2001/StatRept_WB_2001.pdf |title = General Elections, India, 2001, to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal | work= Constituency-wise Data|publisher= Election Commission | access-date = 1 November 2014}}</ref><ref name=vidhansabha2006>{{cite web| url =http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_2006/StatReport_WB_2006.pdf |title = General Elections, India, 2006, to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal | work= Constituency-wise Data|publisher= Election Commission | access-date = 1 November 2014}}</ref> In 2011 he was pitted against a green-horn and won by nearly 50,000 votes and was further re-elected in 2016. Currently he is the Minister-in-Charge, Department of Agriculture and Parliamentary Affairs in the Government of West Bengal.<ref name=statesman/> He resigned from his seat Bhabanipur for CM Mamata Banerjee to contest West Bengal Legislative Assembly by-election.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bhabanipur bypolls: Mamata Banerjee, Priyanka Tibrewal, Srijib Biswas in fray on Sept 30; key facts |url=https://www.cnbctv18.com/politics/bhabanipur-bypolls-mamata-banerjee-priyanka-tibrewal-srijib-biswas-in-fray-on-sept-30-key-facts-10933622.htm |access-date=3 October 2021 |work=www.cnbctv18.com |date=29 September 2021 |language=en}}</ref> He then contested the by election from Khardaha and won with a margin of 93,832 votes.
During the Banerjee government, he served in the West Bengal Cabinet in various roles and also as the Deputy Leader of the House in West Bengal Legislative Assembly. After AITC's defeat in 2026, he became Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly.
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{West Bengal Legislative Assembly2}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chattopadhyay, Sovandeb}} Category:Living people Category:Trinamool Congress politicians from West Bengal Category:1944 births Category:Indian National Congress politicians from West Bengal Category:West Bengal MLAs 1991–1996 Category:West Bengal MLAs 1996–2001 Category:West Bengal MLAs 2001–2006 Category:West Bengal MLAs 2006–2011 Category:West Bengal MLAs 2011–2016 Category:West Bengal MLAs 2016–2021 Category:West Bengal MLAs 2021–2026 Category:West Bengal MLAs 2026–2031 Category:State cabinet ministers of West Bengal Category:Politicians from Kolkata Category:Leaders of the opposition in West Bengal