By IANS,
Mumbai: Congress MP Gurudas Kamat, who was Tuesday made a minister of state with independent charge of drinking water and sanitation, is seen as a giant killer in Mumbai’s electoral politics and known for his organisational skills.
Elected from Mumbai North-West, the 57-year-old has in his four decade-long political career defeated some of the biggest names like Subramaniam Swamy, the late Pramod Mahajan and Jaywantiben Mehta.
A softspoken lawyer and an avid badminton, table tennis and cricket player, Kamat’s organizational skills since his days in student politics were noticed by the late Rajiv Gandhi, who asked him to head the Youth Congress in 1987.
Kamat was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1984. He has been a strong pillar for the party in Mumbai and has been elected as MP five times from the city.
“Kamat has always worked sincerely and seriously on any task,” said a long-time associate, Zakir Ahmed, the present general secretary of Mumbai Regional Congress Committee.
Projects stuck for long – like the Mumbai metro-rail and a mega-project to augment the city’s water supply – got central clearance after Kamat called on party chief Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
He was earlier minister of state for IT and communications — and the junior minister for home affairs.