Mahua Moitra

Somewhere along that path, she took a pause — and took a different turn. That moment of reflection had come at her 10th college reunion in 2008, Moitra told a gathering of school students in July 2019. “Do I want to come back at my 20th reunion as another managing director of JP Morgan or do I want to come back having made a difference?”

This time, Moitra did not hedge her bets. She returned to India, did a brief stint with the Congress during which she led the ‘Aam aadmi ka sipahi’ booth-level campaign conceived by Rahul Gandhi in Bengal, before joining the Trinamool Congress in 2010.

After a three-year stint as MLA of the largely rural Karimpur constituency bordering Bangladesh, Moitra was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2019 from Krishnanagar. Soon after, she was made the party’s Nadia district president — a sign of party chief Mamata Banerjee’s confidence in Moitra.

But it was in Parliament that she stood out, with her articulate speeches that often lifted the Opposition depleted in strength and spirit. She has also filed petitions in the Supreme Court against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the sedition law.

She has been a fierce critic of the ruling government and has raised important issues in the Parliament, often delivering passionate and hard-hitting speeches. Moitra's speeches have gained widespread attention and have been applauded for their powerful content and delivery style.

Moitra has been vocal on a range of issues, including the erosion of democratic values, rising intolerance, and the need to protect fundamental rights. Her speeches have highlighted the importance of upholding the principles of democracy and have called for greater accountability and transparency in governance. She has been particularly critical of the ruling party's policies and has voiced concerns about the alleged infringement on civil liberties.

In December 2023, Moitra was disqualified as an MP after the ethical committee found her guilty of sharing her Parliament login credentials and password with an unauthorized person. The motion was moved by BJP's Nishikant Dubey.

However, Moitra came back strong registering another victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and getting her place in the lower house of the Indian Parliament back.