Big SP donor now heads UP tourism body
In February 2012, when the Samajwadi Party was in the middle of the crucial Assembly elections which would catapult it to power in Uttar Pradesh, it got notable financial help from unlikely quarters. Sudip Sen, a “Nazrulgeeti singer” from Kolkata, gave the party Rs 1.50 crore, becoming its largest donor in eight years.
As per the Election Commission of India website, which lists voluntary contributions of more than Rs 20,000, Sen gave the money in three transactions in February 2012. Earlier, his wife Aditi contributed Rs 6 lakh in December 2011.
While Sen and his wife have no special interest in Uttar Pradesh — they run a cultural institute in Kolkata — that is set to change. The Akhilesh Yadav government recently appointed Sen chairman of Uttar Pradesh Tourism Corporation, with the rank of minister of state.
Their institute, called Basanti Bidya Bithi, lists encouraging girls to take up music as its motto and offers courses in Rabindrasangeet, Kathak and Odissi dances, vocal classical music and Nazrulgeeti, thumri, ghazal, bhajan and other forms. Sen is president while Aditi is secretary of the institute, which was started by his grandfather, the late Manoranjan Sen.
“I am a Nazrulgeeti singer. I am currently involved with the institute alone, and have no other occupation,” said Sen. Nazrulgeeti refers to the works of Kazi Nazrul Islam, the great Bengali poet. As the new head of UP Tourism Corporation, however, Sen will soon be shifting to Lucknow.
In the entire 2011-12 financial year, the Samajwadi Party received a total
