Aparupa Poddar

Aparupa Poddar
Afrin Ali
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office
16 May 2014 – 4 June 2024
Preceded bySakti Mohan Malik
Succeeded byMitali Bag
ConstituencyArambagh
Personal details
BornAparupa Poddar
(1986-01-08) 8 January 1986 (age 40)
Serampore, West Bengal, India
PartyAll India Trinamool Congress
SpouseMohd. Shakir Ali
Children3
EducationHooghly Mohsin College The University of Burdwan (M.A.) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Open University, Hyderabad (LL.B) (LL.M)

Afrin Ali née Aparupa Poddar (born 8 January 1986) is an Indian politician and a member of parliament to the 16th 17th Lok Sabha from Arambagh (Lok Sabha constituency), West Bengal. She won the 2014 & 2019 Indian general election as an All India Trinamool Congress candidate.

Controversies

The allegations relating to the first controversy, regarding financial corruption, were confirmed to be true on 5 October 2017, when she confessed that she had taken a bribe from Narada News boss Mathew Samuel as part of Narada sting operation.

The allegations regarding the second controversy are regarding her religion. Born into a Hindu family and named Aparupa Poddar at birth, she married a Muslim man. She then stood for election from a parliamentary constituency which is reserved for those belonging to the scheduled castes. The Bharatiya Janata Party lodged a complaint with the Election Commission seeking cancellation of her candidature on the plea that she had converted to Islam and hence she did not belong to a scheduled caste. Aparupa Poddar then claimed, that she had changed her name but not her religion.

On 30 June 2026, her husband Shakir Ali was arrested by National Investigative Agency from Rishra residence.

References

  1. ↑ "Aparupa Poddar". Digital Sansad. 4 June 2024. Archived from the original on 20 July 2025. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
  2. ↑ "Aparupa Poddar (Afrin Ali)". PRSIndia. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  3. ↑ "Constituencywise-All Candidates". Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  4. ↑ "Narada sting: Trinamool MP admits taking Rs 3 lakh bribe".
  5. ↑ "Name game: Arambagh TMC candidate lands herself in trouble". Hindustan Times. Kolkata. 10 April 2014. Archived from the original on 8 June 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
External videos
video icon Aparupa Poddar, TMC, Winner from Arambagh, West Bengal