Kharagpur’s ‘Chacha’ Sohanpal dies at 93

Tribune News Service

Kolkata, August 8

Nine-time Congress’ Kharagpur MLA Gyan Singh Sohanpal, popular among his voters as “Chacha”, died after a brief illness at the SSKM Hospital here today. He was 93.

The veteran leader had lost the Kharagpur Sadar seat to West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh by around 5,000 votes in the Assembly elections last year. Despite the loss, “Chacha” continued to enjoy immense respect among politicians cutting across political lines.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted: “Saddened at the passing away of Gyan Singh Sohanpal-ji. We have lost a veteran legislator. My condolences to his family and friends.”

A bachelor, Sohanpal was first elected from the constituency in 1969. Sohanpal lost two elections — in 1962 to Narayan Chaubey (CPI) and in 1977 to Sudhir Das Sharma (Janata Party) — before his final defeat at the hands of Ghosh. “People had a lot of respect for him. He wouldn’t have lost the 2016 election, but for the BJP wave,” said Amal Das, chief of the Kharagpur Town Committee.

He served as state transport minister and was credited with introducing the minibus on Kolkata streets. He was also the prison minister and had a stint as parliamentary affairs minister.

Debangshu Ganguly, a Congress functionary, said: “Sohanpal was like a banyan tree.” He recalled how “Chacha” in the Seventies would go around the town on a scooter and drop by at hospitals to ensure these were being run properly.

The veteran politician, despite his history of electoral success, continued to live in the railway quarter allotted to his father more than half a century ago.

Amal Das said the mortal remains would be taken to the West Bengal Assembly for legislators to pay tribute on Wednesday. The body would then be taken to the PCC office at Moulali where senior Congress leaders would pay their last respects.

It would subsequently be taken to Kharagpur and kept for public viewing on Thursday. Later in the day, the body would be cremated. A gun salute would be accorded to the veteran leader.