As election fever peaks in India, public attention is typically focussed on top leaders and the race for power in high profile urban constituencies. At Citizen Matters, our election coverage has been designed to cut through unnecessary noise and empower readers with whatever they need to make informed electoral decisions. To that end, we encourage reportage on real issues within constituencies and the roles and performance of elected representatives and candidates.
Earlier this year, Oorvani Foundation had collaborated with Youth ki Awaaz to host a Civic Journalism Training Programme, where young aspiring citizen journalists attended discussions and workshops on governance, democracy, the roles and responsibilities of elected representatives (among other topics). In the process, they also learnt how to profile and assess the performance of the latter. This article has been written by one of the participants of the programme from Bardhaman, a town in West Bengal.
This is an assessment of the sitting MP of Bardhaman Purba Sunil Kumar Mondal’s term. He is not contesting the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. The full list of candidates and their affidavits of Bardhaman Purba for this year’s elections can be accessed here.
Sunil Kumar Mondal (65) is a veteran politician and two-time Lok Sabha MP. Before assuming office in 2014, as Member Of Parliament from the constituency of Bardhaman Purba (East Bardhaman) as a member of All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), he served as MLA of Forward Bloc from Galsi ( Vidhan Sabha Constituency). He had voted for the Trinamool candidate in Rajya Sabha election in February 2014. Subsequently, he joined AITC.
He joined BJP in 2020, but after TMC’s sweeping victory in the Vidhan Sabha polls 2021, he claimed that he had always been with TMC. He was elected as MP in the 16th (2014) and 17th (2019) Lok Sabha elections from Bardhaman Purba.
He served as Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and as Member, Standing Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution in 2014.
Amidst the 84.75% voter turnout in the constituency in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, competing with a total of eight candidates, Sunil Kumar emerged victorious with 6,40,834 votes and 44.52% vote share. He defeated his rival, Paresh Chandra Das from BJP by a margin of 89,311 votes. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he defeated Ishwar Chandra Das from CPI(M) by a margin of 1,14,379 votes.
Sunil Kumar Mondal: Personal information
| Name | Sunil Kumar Mondal |
| Age | 65 years |
| Political Party | All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) |
| Educational Qualifications | Bachelor of Arts from Krishna Chandra College ,University of Burdwan ,Birbhum,1981 and Bachelor of Education from Anur B.ED College ,University of Burdwan ,Hooghly ,1983 |
| Profession | Retired teacher, currently sitting Member of Parliament |
| Enrolled as voter in | Galsi- 274 (West Bengal) constituency, at serial no. 212 in part no.58 |
| sunilk.mondal@sansad.nic.in, sunilkrmondal59@gmail.com | |
| Present Address | Delhi Address: Flat No. 502, Ganga Apartment, Dr. B.D. Marg, New Delhi-110001, |
| Permanent Address | Constituency Address:Vill.- Kanksa, P.O. Panagarh Bazar,Paschim Burdwan – 713148, West Bengal |
Criminal cases-Nil
Assets and liabilities
| Details | Holdings in 2019 |
| Movable Assets | Rs. 1.51 crores |
| Immovable Assets | Rs. 52 Lacs |
| Total assets ( Movable + Immovable) | Rs. 2 crores |
| Liabilities | 1.48 Lacs |
Positions held
Sunil Kumar Mondal has held several positions like
- In the 17th Lok Sabha:
September 13, 2022 onwards
- Member, Standing Committee on energy
- Member, consultative committee, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers
September 13, 2019- September 12, 2022,
- Member, standing committee on railways
May, 2019
- Re-elected to 17th Lok Sabha (2nd term)
- In the 16th Lok Sabha:
2015-19
- Chairperson, Govt. Assurance Committee, Bihar Legislative Assembly
- Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation
September 1 2014 – May 25, 2019
- Member, Standing Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution
May 2014
- Elected to 16th Lok Sabha
2011-14
- Member, West Bengal Legislative Assembly
Performance in Parliament
Sunil Kumar has done fairly well in terms of attendance. He has a remarkable 100% attendance in Special Session 2023, Winter Session 2021, Monsoon Session 2021 and Winter Session 2019. His attendance declined to 38% and was the lowest in Monsoon Session 2022. He was also one of the 146 MPs suspended in the winter session of 2023 and was able to mark 79% attendance in this session.
| MP | Attendance | No. of debates participated | No. of questions asked | Private Member’s bill |
| Sunil Kumar Mondal | 81% | 20 | 195 | 0 |
| National Average | 79% | 46.7 | 210 | 1.5 |
| State Average | 69% | 34.5 | 140 | 0.6 |
Sunil Kumar participated in 20 debates, way less than the national average of 46.7 and state average of 34.5. Some of the most significant debates in which he participated are listed below:
- Regarding construction of railway overbridge in Bardhaman Purba Parliamentary constituency
- Regarding the protection of people in Katwa from erosion of water banks
- Demand to implement Krishi Sinchayee Yojna In Bardhaman Purba
- Regarding installation of solar submersible water pumps in Bardhaman Purba parliamentary constituency
- Regarding the need to develop Bardhaman Purba as a tourism centre of West Bengal
- The constitution ( one hundred twenty sixth amendment) Bill, 2019
- Request to the Government to maintain a good staff in the Labour Commissioner office in Bankura to help the mini cigar workers to get their identity cards
Read more: Lok Sabha 2024: Know your MP — Abu Taher Khan, Murshidabad
Sunil Kumar has asked 195 questions in Parliament, way higher than the state average of 140 but less than the national average of 210. Some of the important issues that he has raised in Parliament are:
- Shortage of health facilities and hospitals
- Development of hydro power projects
- Gram Panchayats digitally connected for public service
- Scheme for daily labourers
- Protection of street children
- Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022
- Price hike in chemicals and petrochemicals
- Ultra mega solar projects
He was quite vocal about development of tourism in Bardhaman Purba constituency and said he sees immense prospect in that. He also said that roads should be built properly and enough guest houses should be constructed to house tourists. So, he urged the Tourism Minister to sanction special grants to the West Bengal government to develop this tourist centre.
He did not introduce any private member’s bill.
MPLADS expenditure
| Entitlement of constituency | 17 crore |
| Fund released by GOI (with interest ) | 7.23 crore ( approx) |
| Amount recommended by MP for MPLADS works | 11.8 (approx) |
| Amount sanctioned | 7.3 crore ( approx) |
| Expenditure incurred | 4.94 crore (approx) |
| Unspent balance | 2.28 crore( approx) |
Sunil Kumar Mondal in the news
Sunil Kumar was caught on camera allegedly assaulting a toll plaza employee, who reportedly stopped his car for hitting a stopper at the toll plaza. He claimed that he repented his actions, saying that he did not assault the employee, but pushed him to ask if he could recognise him or not. However, the employee, Ujjwal Singha Sardar, accused Sunil Kumar of abusing and threatening him for stopping his car.