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 former Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee Social Media Chairman.^[1][2][3][4]

Abhishek Mahananda
Personal details
Political party	Indian National Congress
Residence(s)	Bhubaneswar, Odisha
Profession	Politician

Personal life & Family background

Abhishek Mahananda is son of Bijay & Ashima Mahananda. His mother Ashima was a senior woman politician of Odisha & a senior member of the All India Mahila Congress who believed in the ideology of social liberalism, secularism propagated by the Indian National Congress. She also served as a member in the State Commission for Women .^[5][6][7] Abhishek Mahananda is the grandson of Late Achyutananda Mahananda, a former Cabinet Minister & five times MLA in the Odisha Legislative Assembly. Abhishek's maternal grand father Dr.Harekrushna Mallick was a Rajya Sabha MP and a gold medalist in medicine also a practicing doctor. He also has an uncle Hrushikesh Mahananda who was the first Member of Parliament from Bolangir Lok Sabha Parliamentary Constituency underscoring their family's commitment towards social work and public welfare.^[8]

Abhishek Mahananda is married to Pooja Arora Mahananda, a commerce graduate based in New Delhi. She plays a vital role in their shared business ventures. The couple has a daughter named Aashima Mahananda, named after Abhishek’s deceased mother, Ashima Mahananda.^[9]

Education & Professional Interests

Abhishek Mahananda holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Management in 2006^[10][11] from the Institute for Integrated Learning in Management – Graduate School of Management. He is an active entrepreneur with ventures in the food and beverage industry and digital media advertising. He co-founded Mahananda Petroleum & Chemicals Private Limited in 2019, showcasing his interests in the industrial and energy sectors.

Sports & Personal Interests

He is also an accomplished snooker & billiards player having competed in national championships across India.^[12] He is also a former Cricketer who played as a medium fast bowler and middle order batsman in the Junior State under-16 category. Abhishek was trained at Saheed Sporting Club under coach Kamal Ganguly where he played along with International Players like Debashish Mohanty and Pragyan Ojha.^[13]

Political life

Mahananda had contested from Cuttack Sadar (Vidhan Sabha constituency) and lost the election.^[14] He part of the growing cohort of millenial politicians from Odisha like Saptagiri Ulaka, Sasmit Patra and Sofia Firdous. In April 2019, he contested the election to the Odisha Legislative Assembly from Cuttack Sadar (Vidhan Sabha constituency) on an Odisha Congress ticket and gained 6,229 of 155,799 votes cast.^[15][16][17]

List of positions held in the Indian National Congress

1. National Coordinator in the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Social Media & Digital Platforms Department: 2023- present^[18][19]
2. Spokesperson and Convenor - Media & Communication Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee:
3. AICC Member 2022
4. Chairman - Social Media & Digital Platforms Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee: 2017–present
5. OPCC Member- 2017 & 2022
6. Convenor - Social Media & Digital Platforms, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee: 2015-2017
7. IYC Coordinator, Indian Youth Congress: 2010
8. State Secretary - NSUI Odisha Unit: 2004 - 2007