Achyutananda Mahananda (21 April 192415 April 1991) was an Indian politician from

Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...

, known for his contributions to the state's political landscape and early Dalit politics in Odisha. He served as a cabinet minister in charge of Forest and Animal Husbandry during the tenure of Chief Minister Nandini Satpathy and was elected as a Member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly (MLA) five times, representing various constituencies from the western Odisha belt.

Early life and education

Mahananda was born on April 21, 1924, in Mandal village, located in the

Balangir district Balangir District, also called Bolangir District, is a district situated in Odisha state of India. The district has an area of , and a population of 1,648,997 (2011 census). The town of Balangir is the district headquarters. The composition of t ...

of Odisha. He was the son of Late Sundar Mahananda. He was married to Smt. Udiachand Mahananda and had a deep interest in agriculture, often engaging in cultivation as a hobby. His commitment to social causes was evident through his special interest in the upliftment of Harijans (Dalits) and Adivasis (tribal communities). He resided in Ichhapara via Muribahal in the Balangir district.

Political career

Mahananda embarked on his political journey in 1950. He initially aligned with the All India Ganatantra Parishad and later joined the Swatantra Party. His political acumen and dedication led him to serve as the General Secretary of the Orissa Depressed Class League and as the Vice-President of the All-Orissa Chaukidar Sangha. He was also a member of the State Handloom Board. Between 1957 and 1961, he held the position of Whip for the Opposition Party in the Odisha Legislative Assembly. From 1970 to 1972, he served as the Government Chief Whip. In June 1972, he joined the Indian National Congress (R). His legacy is continued by his grandson

Abhishek Mahananda Abhishek Mahananda is an Indian politician and public figure from the Indian National Congress and is currently serving as National Coordinator in the Social Media & Digital Platforms of the AICC (All India Congress Committee) and is also the fo ...

who is also a dalit politician from Balangir and is also active in the digital realm, being instrumental in highlighting numerous matter pertaining to the treatment of the depressed classes.

Legislative tenure

Mahananda's legislative career was marked by his representation of multiple constituencies: * 1st Assembly (1952–1957): elected from Bolangir constituency as a member of the All India Ganatantra Parishad. * 2nd Assembly (1957–1961): represented Titilagarh constituency under the All India Ganatantra Parishad. * 3rd Assembly (1961–1967): re-elected from Titilagarh, this time as a member of the Swatantra Party. * 4th Assembly (1967–1971): continued his representation of Titilagarh with the Swatantra Party. * 5th Assembly (1971–1973): elected from Kantabanji constituency as a Swatantra Party candidate.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mahananda, Achyutananda 1924 births 1991 deaths People from Balangir district Odisha MLAs 1952–1957 Odisha MLAs 1957–1961 Orissa MLAs 1961–1967 Odisha MLAs 1967–1971 Odisha MLAs 1974–1977