Shantanu Thakur

Shantanu Thakur (born 1982) is an Indian politician, who has been a Member of Lok Sabha for Bangaon since 2019. He was sworn in as Union Minister of State, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways after the Cabinet reshuffle on 7 July 2021.

Personal life Thakur comes from Matua community which is similar to Hindu Dalit communities but unlike them it is considered as a different religious sect. He wrestled the Bangaon seat from his aunt Mamta Thakur, who is associated with All India Trinamool Congress. He graduated with a degree in English (Honours) and holds an Advanced Diploma in Hospitality Management. He pursued his education at Karnataka Open University and Victoria University in Sydney, Australia.

Political career In the 2019 general election, he became the first non-TMC MP to be elected in this constituency since its delimitation when he was elected on BJP's ticket. He is the son of ex-Bengal Minister Manjul Krishna Thakur. He is a leader of All India Matua Mahasangha.

Criminal case He is facing a criminal case under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code, which relates to attempt to murder.

Position held He has been serving as Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways since 7 July 2021 and was reappointed to the same position on 9 June 2024 after being elected to the 18th Lok Sabha. He is also a Member of the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. Previously, he served as a Member of the Standing Committee on Commerce from 13 September 2019 to 7 July 2021.