Nisith Pramanik
Official portrait, 2021
Cabinet Minister, Government of West Bengal
Incumbent
Assumed office
9 May 2026
Governor R. N. Ravi
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari
Departments North Bengal Development
Youth Affairs and Sports
Minister of State for Home Affairs,
Government of India
In office
7 July 2021 – 11 June 2024
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Preceded by G. Kishan Reddy
Succeeded by Bandi Sanjay Kumar
Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India
In office
7 July 2021 – 11 June 2024
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Minister Anurag Thakur
Preceded by Kiren Rijiju (as MOS (I/C))
Succeeded by Raksha Khadse
Member of West Bengal Legislative Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office
4 May 2026
Preceded by Sushil Barman
Constituency Mathabhanga
In office
2 May 2021 – 12 May 2021
Preceded by Udayan Guha
Succeeded by Udayan Guha
Constituency Dinhata
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office
23 May 2019 – 4 June 2024
Preceded by Parthapratim Roy
Succeeded by Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia
Constituency Cooch Behar
Personal details
Born (1986-01-17) 17 January 1986 (age 40)
Dinhata, Cooch Behar, India
Party Bharatiya Janata Party (2019–present)
Other political
affiliations
All India Trinamool Congress (until February 2019)
Spouse Priyanka Pramanik
Children 2
Signature
Source: [1]

Nisith Pramanik (born 17 January 1986) is an Indian politician from West Bengal who has served as the Union Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs and Union Minister of State, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports from 2021 to 2024 and a member of the Lok Sabha represented Cooch Behar, West Bengal from 2021 to 2024 as a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party.[1] He was also a member of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly in 2021 from Dinhata Assembly constituency. He was a member of the Trinamool Congress until 2019.[2]

Early and personal life

Nisith Pramanik was born on 17 January 1986 in Dinhata, located in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal state, India.[3] His parents’ ancestral home was in Harinathpur of Palashbari Upazila under Gaibandha district in Bangladesh. In 1968, his family migrated from Bangladesh and settled permanently in Dinhata, Cooch Behar.[4] He passed class 10th from Bhetaguri Lal Bahadur Sastri Vidyapith Dinhata under the State Board in 2001.[5] He was an assistant teacher at a primary school. He is married to Priyanka Pramanik, with whom he has two sons.[6]

Political career

President Shri Ram Nath Kovind administering the oath as Minister of State to Shri Nisith Pramanik, at a Swearing-in Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on July 7, 2021.

He was a member of All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) before joining the BJP in March 2019.[7][8] In July 2021, he became the Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of State, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in the Second Modi ministry after the Cabinet reshuffle.[9] As of 2021, at the age of 35 he became the youngest minister in the Union Cabinet.[10] Nisith Pramanik has been entrusted with the North Bengal Development as well as Sports and Youth Welfare portfolios in the newly formed Bengal government led by Suvendu Adhikari.[11] A key BJP leader from North Bengal and former Union minister, Pramanik has played a significant role in strengthening the party’s organisational base across the region. His appointment is seen as strategically important as the BJP looks to consolidate its influence in North Bengal while also focusing on youth engagement, sports infrastructure, and regional development initiatives.

Electoral Performance

Lok Sabha

Year Constituency Party Votes in % Opponent Party Votes in % Margin Margin

in %

 Results
2019 Cooch Behar BJP 7,31,594 47.98 Paresh Chandra Adhikary AITC 677,363 44.43 54,231 3.55 Won
2024 749,125 46.16 Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia 788,375 48.57 -39,250 -2.41 Lost

Legislative Assembly

Year Constituency Party Votes in % Opponent Party Votes in % Margin Margin

in %

 Results
2021 Dinhata BJP 116,035 47.60 Udayan Guha AITC 1,15,978 47.58 57 0.02 Won
2026 MathaBhanga 143,340 59.27 Sablu Barman 86,250 35.56 57,090 23.31 Won

Allegations

In July 2021, his nationality created debate in the Indian political circle after Congress Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora wrote a letter to the Prime Minister alleging Pramanik was a Bangladeshi national to the Prime Minister and requested an investigation into his nationality.[12][13] Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, also questioned his citizenship, while TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy also alleged he is a Bangladeshi, citing his Wikipedia page as a reference.[14] The Leader of the Rajya Sabha, BJP MP Piyush Goyal, however, called the allegations baseless.[15]

References

  1. ^ "BJP fares well in 'minority-concentration' districts, wins over 50% seats". The Times of India. 29 May 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  2. ^ "Among BJP's West Bengal winners, a tribal leader, businessman, software expert". The Indian Express. 4 March 2024. Archived from the original on 3 July 2025. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  3. ^ Centre, National Informatics. "Digital Sansad". Digital Sansad. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
  4. ^ Shabuj, Mostafa (20 July 2021). "Indian minister Pramanik not Bangladeshi citizen, says extended family in Gaibandha". The Daily Star. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  5. ^ "NISITH PRAMANIK COOCH BEHAR (SC) (WEST BENGAL) - Affidavit Information of Candidate". myneta.info. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  6. ^ "Members : Lok Sabha". The Hindu. 19 July 2021.
  7. ^ "TMC leader joins BJP, says only PM Modi can save country". in.news.yahoo.com. 1 March 2019. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  8. ^ ANI (1 March 2019). "TMC leader joins BJP, says only PM Modi can save country". Retrieved 12 February 2020.[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ "Modi cabinet rejig: Full list of new ministers". India Today. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  10. ^ Ananya Bhattacharya (7 July 2021). "Nisith Pramanik of Cooch Behar, 35, is youngest minister in Team Modi". India Today.
  11. ^ "Dilip Ghosh gets rural development, Agnimitra Paul women and child welfare: Bengal Cabinet portfolios announced". The Telegraph Online. The Telegraph. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  12. ^ "Questions over Bangladesh nationality of Union Minister of State Nishit Pramanik open Pandora's box". The Statesman. 18 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  13. ^ "BJP, Trinamool Spar Over Minister's Nationality Before Parliament Session". NDTV.com. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  14. ^ "নিশীথের নাগরিকত্ব নিয়ে রাজ্যসভায় এক সুরে সরব TMC-Congress, বিতর্ক ওড়াল সরকারপক্ষ". Zee24Ghanta.com. 19 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  15. ^ Sarkar, Siddhartha (19 July 2021). "Home Truths: Opposition Questions Minister's Nationality, BJP Calls Row 'Baseless'". News18.