Ashok Bhattacharya started his political career as a corporator in
Siliguri Municipal Corporation. He became the chairman of
Siliguri municipality in 1987 and remained as the chairman till 1991. He was elected to the
West Bengal Legislative Assembly from
Siliguri (Vidhan Sabha constituency) as a
CPI(M) candidate for the first time in 1991. He is a five-time
MLA of
West Bengal Legislative Assembly from
Siliguri. He won elections from Siliguri in 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2016. In 1996, he became the Minister for Urban Development and Municipal Affairs in the Left Front Government in West Bengal under chief minister
Jyoti Basu. He also continued as cabinet minister under chief minister
Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee till 2011 when the Left Front Government lost the power to
All India Trinamool Congress (AITC). In
2011 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, he was defeated by AITC candidate Rudra Nath Bhattacharya in
Siliguri. But he won from
Siliguri again in
2016 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election against AITC candidate and former captain of
India national football team Bhaichung Bhutia. In May 2015, Ashok Bhattacharya became the
Mayor of
Siliguri Municipal Corporation after the Left Front won the municipal election in Siliguri. Ashok Bhattacharya lost the Siliguri corporation election 2021 by Md Alam Khan of TMC from ward number 6. ==References==