Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar
Indian politician (born 1959)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar (born 23 November 1959) is an Indian physician and politician from West Bengal. She was National President of All India Trinamool Mahila Congress, the women's wing of TMC. She has been a member of the 15th, 16th and 17th Lok Sabha, re-elected in 2014 Indian general election and 2019.[2][3] She is serving as a member of Panel of Chairpersons since 17th Lok Sabha and as Group leader for Indian Parliamentary Friendly groups for Bulgaria appointed by 18th Lok Sabha.[4]
Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar | |
|---|---|
| Member of Panel of Chairpersons (Lok Sabha) | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2019 | |
| Appointed by | Om Birla |
| Preceded by | Ratna De (Nag)[a] |
| Group Leader of Indian Parliamentary Friendship Groups for Bulgaria by Lok Sabha. | |
| Assumed office 23 Feb 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Chief Whip of All India Trinamool Congress in Lok Sabha | |
| In office 25 May 2009 – 27 May 2026 | |
| Leader | Sudip Bandyopadhyay Abhishek Banerjee |
| Preceded by | Office re-established |
| Succeeded by | Kalyan Banerjee (politician) |
| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
| Assumed office 16 May 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Subrata Bose |
| Constituency | Barasat, West Bengal |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kakoli Moitra 23 November 1959 Kolkata, West Bengal, India |
| Party | Independent (from 2026) |
Other political affiliations | Indian National Congress (till 1998) Trinamool Congress (1998-2026) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| King's College London R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital | |
| Profession | Physician |
As of 17 September, 2009 Source: | |
Early life
Kakoli Ghosh was born on 23 November 1959. Her family has had a connection to West Bengal and Indian politics and government for three generations. Her maternal grandfather served as the postmaster general of West Bengal. Her paternal uncle, the late Arun Moitra, was a freedom fighter and a former Pradesh Congress President. Her maternal uncle, Gurudas Dasgupta, was also a Member of the Indian Parliament.[citation needed]
Early in his career, Moitra built his family farm in Digberia of Barasat in North 24 Parganas District of West Bengal. Member of Parliament (MP) Ghosh grew up at her family's farm. Her husband, Dr. Sudarshan Ghosh Dastidar, is an infertility and IVF specialist and a former minister of West Bengal.[5] They have two sons.[6]
Education
Kakoli Ghosh gained her medical degree from R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, which was then affiliated with the University of Calcutta. She also did a Post Graduate Training in Obstetric Ultrasound from King's College London.[6]
Career
She is now a member of the Committee on Home Affairs in the Lok Sabha (People's Chamber) of the Indian Parliament.[2]
Ghosh Dastidar grew up in a socio-political environment. Alongside having a family legacy of public service, the MP dedicated her life to serving the people of her community including providing health care for slum-dwelling citizens. She also helped implement a school and dispensary in South 24 Parganas for the children of trafficked women.[citation needed]
In 2009 Lok Sabha elections, she won from Barasat (Lok Sabha constituency) by a margin of 1,22,901 votes.[5][7][8] She had earlier lost the elections from Diamond Harbour (Lok Sabha constituency),[9] Howrah (Lok Sabha constituency)[10] and Ballyganj assembly constituency.[11] and Jadavpur Assembly Constituency in 1996.
On 27 May 2026, Ghosh Dastidar resigned all posts she held in the TMC and accused fellow MP Kalyan Banerjee of verbal abuse and misogyny. She also cited corruption in the previous government, the 2024 Kolkata rape and murder, and the influence of the political consultancy group Indian Political Action Committee (IPAC) over the TMC for her resigning from her party positions.[12][13]
Controversies
Park Street Rape Case
When protests and demonstrations were at the peak for justice in 2012 Delhi gang rape case Ghosh Dastidar made an insensitive allegations against the Park Street Gang Rape victim. She said that the 'incident at Park Street was not a rape at all'. While making claim that the Park Street case and Delhi case cannot be compared she described Park Street case as a 'misunderstanding between a lady and her client,' thereby suggesting that the victim is a sex worker.[14]