New Delhi:
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, an influential Congress leader from West Bengal's Murshidabad district, is a three-time Lok Sabha MP. He is known to be close to President Pranab Mukherjee
Having dropped out of school at the age of 15, he started as a District leader of Youth Congress in the 1970s when political atmosphere was very tense and violent in West Bengal.
Mr Chowdhury, who today took oath as Minister of State, entered legislative politics from Nabagram assembly constituency in 1996. He has won the Berhampore Lok Sabha seat consecutively since 1999.
He took the initiative in the election campaigns of Pranab Mukherjee from Jangipur parliamentary constituency in Murshidabad district in 2004 and also in 2009 which won him the favour of the Congress high command.
He was also responsible for the recent election of Pranab Mukherjee's son Abhijit Mukherjee from the Jangipur Lok Sabha seat.
Before joining active politics, Mr Chowdhury was imprisoned in several criminal cases during the previous Left Front regime in the state.
The District Congress president, Mr Chowdhury was widely considered the chief architect of the party's victory in zila parishad elections and also in various municipality elections in Murshidabad district.