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Mamata Banerjee Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 6, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth5 January 1955

Age70 Years

BirthplaceKolkata, West Bengal, India

ProfessionIndian Politician

NationalityIndian

Marital statusUnmarried

FamilyFather - Promileswar Banerjee; Mother - Gayetri Devi; Brothers - Amit, Ajit, Kali, Baben, Ganesh, Samir Banerjee

Net worthINR 15 Lakh (as of 2024)

Mamata Banerjee Biography

Mamata Banerjee is an Indian politician from Kolkata who founded the All India Trinamool Congress and has served multiple terms as Chief Minister of West B

Early life and background

Mamata Banerjee was born on 5 January 1955 in Kolkata, West Bengal. Raised in a Bengali Hindu family, she grew up in the city that has remained her political base. Her father was Promileswar Banerjee and her mother Gayetri Devi. She completed schooling at Deshbandhu Sishu Sikshalaya and went on to study at colleges affiliated with the University of Calcutta, earning a B.A. (Honours) in History, an M.A. in Islamic History, a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Education.

Career

Banerjee entered politics as a teenager, joining the Indian National Congress in 1970 and becoming active in student and youth wings of the party. She served as General Secretary of the Congress Mahila Morcha at the state level from 1976 to 1980 and later held leadership roles in the Indian Youth Congress.

Her first major parliamentary success came in the 1984 general election when she defeated veteran Communist politician Somnath Chatterjee from the Jadavpur constituency, becoming one of the youngest members of Parliament at that time. She lost the seat in 1989 but returned to the Lok Sabha in 1991 and kept winning successive elections from Dakshin Bengal through 2009.

In the early 1990s Banerjee served in the Union government as Minister of State with responsibilities that included Human Resources Development, Youth Affairs and Sports, and Women and Child Development; she was relieved of those portfolios in 1993. In 1997 she left the Congress and founded the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), which soon emerged as a major opposition force in West Bengal.

Her national-level roles fluctuated with shifting alliances. After the 1999 elections produced a hung parliament, she allied with the National Democratic Alliance and was given the Railway Ministry. She broke with the NDA in 2001 to work with the Congress in West Bengal state elections, rejoined the NDA in early 2004 and served as Coal and Mines Minister until that Lok Sabha dissolved. For the 2009 parliamentary elections she aligned with the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance and was appointed Minister of Railways.

State leadership

Stepping down from the Union Railway Ministry in May 2011, Banerjee pursued state leadership and became the first woman Chief Minister of West Bengal that same month. She was re-elected as Chief Minister in 2016 and again sworn in for a third consecutive term on 5 May 2021. In the 2021 assembly contests she lost the Nandigram constituency to Suvendu Adhikari by 1,736 votes but continued to lead the state government. On 2 February 2022 she was re-elected as chairperson of the Trinamool Congress.

Public profile

Banerjee is known for a plain, unadorned style of public appearance, typically wearing a white saree and simple footwear. She has also pursued painting and poetry without formal professional training; one of her paintings, titled "Flower Power," was auctioned in New York in 2012. Her public life has included several controversies, ranging from parliamentary altercations in the late 1990s to critical reactions to some public comments and administrative decisions. She has described walking and painting among her personal interests.

Personal life

Mamata Banerjee has remained unmarried. She is from a family that includes multiple brothers: Amit Banerjee, Ajit Banerjee, Kali Banerjee, Baben Banerjee, Ganesh Banerjee and Samir Banerjee. Her listed religion is Hinduism and caste is reported as Brahmin. Physical details reported in public profiles include a height of approximately 163 cm (5'4") and weight around 59 kg (130 lbs). Her eye color is described as hazel brown and her hair as salt-and-pepper.

Latest updates

In March 2024 Banerjee suffered a head injury after slipping at home and was taken to SSKM Hospital in Kolkata. In December 2024 a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms noted her as the poorest chief minister among Indian states according to its assessment. In February 2022 she continued to hold formal leadership of her party as TMC chairperson.
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Recent Work

Chief Minister of West Bengal

Served as Chief Minister, sworn in for a third consecutive term on 5 May 2021; re-elected as Trinamool Congress chairperson on 2 February 2022.

2021-2022
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Career Highlights

  1. Joined Indian National Congress in 1970 and rose through student and youth wings
  2. Elected to Lok Sabha first in 1984 from Jadavpur
  3. Founded All India Trinamool Congress in 1997
  4. Served in multiple union ministerial roles including Railways, and Coal & Mines
  5. First woman Chief Minister of West Bengal in 2011; re-elected in 2016 and 2021
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Net Worth

INR 15 Lakh (as of 2024)

Figures are editorial estimates based on publicly available reporting and may change as new information emerges.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Mamata Banerjee born?

5 January 1955

What is Mamata Banerjee known for?

Indian Politician

What is Mamata Banerjee’s marital status?

Unmarried

What is Mamata Banerjee’s net worth?

INR 15 Lakh (as of 2024)