Tarun Gogoi

Tarun Gogoi (Assamese: তৰুণ গগৈ) is an Indian politician who served as the Chief Minister of Assam from 2001 to 2016. He is a member of the Indian National Congress and led the party to a record three consecutive electoral victories in Assam. He completed 15 consecutive years as Chief Minister of Assam on 18 May 2016.

Gogoi was born on 1 April 1936 into an ethnic Assamese Tai-Ahom family at Rangajan Tea Estate, erstwhile Sivasagar District, now the Jorhat District of Assam.

His father, Dr Kamaleshwar Gogoi was a medical practitioner at Rangajan Tea Estate and his mother, Usha Gogoi, younger sister of the renowned poet Ganesh Gogoi, was known for her collection of poetry, Hiyar Samahar (Heart’s Treasures).

Fondly called Punakon by his parents, Tarun Gogoi began his primary education at the No.26 Rangajan Nimna Buniyadi Vidyalaya (lower foundation school). From there he moved on to Jorhat Madrassa School where he studied up to class IV, and then moved to Bholaguri High School located near Badulipar Tea Estate where he studied till class VI. In 1949, young Gogoi was enrolled at the Jorhat Government High School, from where he passed the HSLC Examination. He did his graduation from Jagannath Barooah College, located at Jorhat District, of Assam and after that he did LLB from Gauhati University, Assam. He is designated as an alumnus of the prestigious Jagannath Barooah College, Jorhat.

Tarun Gogoi married Dolly Gogoi on 30 July 1972. Dolly Gogoi is a post-graduate in Zoology from Gauhati University. They have two children; daughter Chandrima, an MBA and son, Gaurav Gogoi, a member of parliament from Kaliabar, who holds a degree in Public Administration from New York University.

Gogoi has served six terms as a Member of Parliament (MP) from the Lok Sabha. He first represented Jorhat in 1971–85. Later Gogoi was elected from Kaliabor (1991–96/1998–2002). The Kaliabor seat is currently held by his son Gaurav Gogoi.

Gogoi became a political leader with national stature after he was elected Joint Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in 1976 under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He later served as General Secretary of the AICC (1985–90) under Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Gogoi served in the Union Cabinet of India under Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao as Union Minister of State in the Food and Food Processing Industry departments (1991–96).

Gogoi served as the President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) in 1986–90. He was elected to a second term as President in 1996. Gogoi has since served four terms as a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) in the legislature of Assam. He first represented Margherita constituency in the legislature in 1996–98. Gogoi has represented the Titabar constituency since 2001.

Gogoi was elected Chief Minister of Assam in 2001 after he led the Indian National Congress to victory in the state elections. He has since led the party to a record three consecutive electoral victories in the state as Chief Minister. But outcome of the recent Lok Sabha has put him in hard time managing his own cabinet colleagues. Congress won only three out of 14 Lok Sabha seats from Assam. On the other hand BJP got seven seats, which is the highest number of seats won by the party in any Lok Sabha election in Assam. Before the election, Gogoi had declared that he would resign from the post of Chief Minister if the Congress party won less than seven out of 14 Lok Sabha seats. In July 2014, Gogoi indicated that he might not lead the party in the 2016 Assembly elections.

• 1968 : Member, Municipal Board, Jorhat.
• 1968 : Member, Municipal Board, Jorhat.
• 1971 : Elected to 5th Lok Sabha.
• 1976 : Joint Secretary, All India Congress Committee.
• 1977 : Re-elected to 6th Lok Sabha (2nd term).
• 1983 : Re-elected to 7th Lok Sabha (3rd term).
• 1983 : Joint Secretary All India Congress Committee (AICC(I)).
• 1985 : General Secretary, All India Congress Committee (AICC(I).
• 1986-1990 : President, Pradesh Congress Committee P.C.C.(I)), Assam.
• 1991-1993 : Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Food.
• 1993-1995 : Union Minister of State (Independent Charge). Ministry of Food Processing Industry.
• 1993-1995 : Member, Assam Legislative Assembly.
• 1997-1998 : Elected as Member of ALA.
• 1998-99 : Member, Committee on Government Assurances
• 1998-99 : Member, Committee on External Affairs.
• 1998-99 : Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
• 1998 : Re-elected to 12th Lok Sabha (5th term).
• 1999 : Re-elected to 13th Lok Sabha (6th term).
• 1999-2000 : Member, Committee on Railways.
• 18 May 2001 : Assumed the Office of Chief Minister, Assam. (1st Term)
• Sept-2001 : Elected as Member of ALA.
• 11 May 2006 : Elected as Member of ALA.
• 14 May 2006 : Assumed the Office of Chief Minister, Assam (2nd Term)
• 13 May 2011 : Elected as Member of ALA.
• 18 May 2011 : Assumed the Office of Chief Minister, Assam. (3rd Term)