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Somnath Chatterjee Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 15, 2026 • 3 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth25 July 1929

Age89 (at time of death)

BirthplaceTezpur, Assam

ProfessionPolitician

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseRenu Chatterjee

FamilySon - Pratap Chatterjee; Daughters - Anushila Basu and one more

Somnath Chatterjee Biography

Somnath Chatterjee was an Indian politician and parliamentarian best known for serving as Speaker of the 14th Lok Sabha. A long-time member and leader of C

Early life and background

Somnath Chatterjee was born on 25 July 1929 in Tezpur, Assam. He came from a Bengali Brahmin family; his father, Nirmal Chandra Chatterjee, was a lawyer, and his mother was Binapani Debi. Chatterjee was educated at Mitra Institution School and later attended Jesus College at the University of Cambridge, where he completed postgraduate studies in law.

He began his professional life as a lawyer, practicing at the Calcutta High Court before moving into public life and electoral politics.

Career

Chatterjee joined the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in 1968. Following the death of his father, he was nominated to contest an interim parliamentary election in 1971 with CPI(M) support and won, entering the Lok Sabha. Over the course of his electoral career he won multiple Lok Sabha contests, though he lost the 1984 Jadavpur election to Mamata Banerjee.

Within parliament, Chatterjee served on joint committees including those that examined the Lokpal Bill and the Prasar Bharati Bill during the mid to late 1980s. He became the parliamentary leader of his party in the Lok Sabha in 1989, a role he held for many years. In 2004 he was elected to the 14th Lok Sabha and on 4 June 2004 he was appointed Speaker of the House, a position that brought him national prominence.

In 2008 Chatterjee’s long association with CPI(M) ended when he was expelled from the party. The expulsion followed a critical confidence vote in Parliament that year, when his views diverged from the party’s chosen position. Chatterjee later described his expulsion as one of the saddest days of his life.

Public profile

Chatterjee’s parliamentary career was recognized with honours, including the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award in 1996 and a Living Legend Award at the Bharat Nirman Awards in 2013. He occasionally drew controversy for outspoken remarks about the relationship between the judiciary and the legislature; one such episode in 2005 concerned his comments on Supreme Court directions related to a confidence motion in the Jharkhand Assembly, which attracted political criticism.

Known for a dignified presence in parliament, Chatterjee combined a legal background with decades of legislative experience. Physical descriptions recorded in public sources list his height at approximately 178 cm and an eye colour of black; later in life his hair was white.

Personal life

Chatterjee married Renu Chatterjee on 7 February 1950. The couple had children, including a son, Pratap Chatterjee, and at least two daughters, one of whom is Anushila Basu. His household address was recorded in Kolkata. Religious and social details in public summaries list his religion as Hinduism and his caste as Bengali Brahmin.

He maintained personal interests in gardening, reading and digital art according to biographical notes.

Death

Somnath Chatterjee died on 13 August 2018 in Kolkata, West Bengal, at the age of 89. The reported cause of death was a heart attack. After his passing his family declined a request to have party flags placed on his body.

Latest updates

Since his death in 2018, Chatterjee’s career is most frequently remembered for his decades of parliamentary service, his tenure as Speaker of the 14th Lok Sabha, and his long association with CPI(M) that ended in 2008.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Somnath Chatterjee, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

Speaker of the 14th Lok Sabha

Elected Speaker of India’s 14th Lok Sabha on 4 June 2004.

2004
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Career Highlights

  1. Joined CPI(M) in 1968
  2. Elected to Lok Sabha in 1971 (with CPI(M) support)
  3. Leader of his party in the Lok Sabha from 1989
  4. Appointed Speaker of the 14th Lok Sabha in 2004
  5. Expelled from CPI(M) in 2008
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Somnath Chatterjee born?

Somnath Chatterjee was born on 25 July 1929.

What is Somnath Chatterjee known for?

Somnath Chatterjee is known for politician.

What is Somnath Chatterjee’s marital status?

Somnath Chatterjee's marital status is listed as Married.

Who is Somnath Chatterjee married to?

Somnath Chatterjee is publicly listed as married to Renu Chatterjee.