Gurudas Kamat, former President of Mumbai Regional Congress Committee was appointed to the much coveted position by the Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhiji on 16th March 2003.

An advocate by profession, Gurudas Kamat has been in the Political and Social field for over 37 years.
Just out of Holy Cross High School in Kurla, Mumbai, Gurudas Kamat began his political career as a student activist in the year 1972. He joined the National Students Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Congress party while he was studying at Podar College of Commerce & Economics, Matunga. After occupying different positions therein he was appointed President of the Mumbai unit of the National Students Union of India in 1976.

As NSUI Mumbai unit President, Shri Kamat with his drive and commitment strengthened the NSUI and prepared it to take on the might of the Janata Party Government.

Shri Kamat's success at the simultaneous pursuit of academic excellence and a political career with relentless zeal is a measure of the man's mettle. After graduation in Commerce, he won the Prof. Welingkar Trophy for the Most Outstanding Student of Podar College in 1976. He was also Captain of the Badminton Team while in college and was also appointed Secretary of the Gymkhana. Shri Kamat was also elected Vice President of the Poddar College Students Union in 1975-76 in a direct election, where students from the 1st year to M.Com participated.

Shri Kamat had also represented his school in sports like Cricket, Badminton and Table Tennis and went on to represent Poddar College in Badminton. He was also selected to represent his College in Cricket but opted to represent the college and concentrate on Badminton, as long hours of practice were required to be put for both the sports. Shri Kamat was captain of the Poddar College Badminton team for all 4 years.
Shri Kamat went on join the Government Law College in Mumbai, where he was elected General Secretary of Government Law College Students Union in the very first year. He secured a First Class at Law from Government Law College, Mumbai, ranking second in the University of Mumbai. He was subsequently appointed "Fellow" of the Government Law College, Mumbai.

Meanwhile he had joined the Youth Congress movement and was appointed the General Secretary of Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress (I), eventually to be promoted as President of Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress (I) in 1984.

As President of the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress (I), Shri Kamat again demonstrated his natural talent and remarkable ability as organizer and motivator by rejuvenating the committee, energizing its cadre and launching a relentless crusade against the detractors of late Smt. Indira Gandhi and late Shri Rajiv Gandhi, and those trying to undermine their leadership. Shri Kamat's career in Maharashtra is marked by fearless, dogged opposition to communal forces and vocal, strident criticism of their deeds. He also acquired the distinction of representing India at many National and International Youth Conventions.

Small wonder, therefore, that the Party High Command, in recognition of Shri Kamat's abilities, nominated him for the first time to the Lok Sabha elections from Mumbai North East Parliamentary constituency in December 1984, an election which he won, trouncing the then sitting MP Dr. Subramaniam Swamy and the BJP stalwart Shri Pramod Mahajan. He defeated Smt Jaywantiben Mehta of BJP in 1991 and Shri Pramod Mahajan again in 1998 by approximately 50,000 votes.

Shri Kamat was appointed as President of All India Youth Congress Committee, the largest political youth organisation in India in the year 1987 by none other than late Prime Minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi, the then President of All India Congress Committee.

With membership of numerous Parliamentary Committees, Shri Kamat's political career is a long roster studded with achievements, not the least of which is representing India on the Kashmir and Human Rights issue at the United Nations along with Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee, Shri I.K.Gujral and Dr.Farooq Abdullah, in 1994. Staunch loyalty to the Congress (I), total dedication to party work and uncompromising commitment to secularism constitute the tricolor of Shri Kamat's political fabric.

Shri Kamat worked as Senior Vice President of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee from 1996 and has been on the State Parliamentary Board since then, which positions he continues to hold, the former as ex-officio by virtue of being President of Mumbai Congress and the latter by way of appointment by the High Command.
He now has the distinction of leading the Mumbai Congress to a spectacular victory in the Lok Sabha Elections held in May 2004, where all 5 candidates fielded by the congress party won from Mumbai with Mr. Kamat himself winning by highest margin of 99,500 votes the highest lead in Maharashtra amongst Congress candidates.
Shri Kamat was deputed by the Hon'ble Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Somnath Chatterjee to represent India at the Common Wealth Parliamentary Association, Wilton Park Conference on Financing Politics, curbing corruption and Parliamentary Ethics in United Kingdom, which was held from 7th to 11th June 2004.

	Shri Kamat has served on the following prestigious Committees : - 1984-1989 Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers 1987-1989 Member, Joint Committee on Railways Bill 1991-1996 Member, Committee on Industries Member, Railway Convention Committee Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers 1998-1999 Member, Committee on Petitions Member, Committee on Petroleum and Chemicals Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Finance 2004 - till date Chairman, Committee on Energy Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas Member, Committee on Official Language Member, Committee on Finance 2005 - till date Member, Ethics Committee Member, Press Council of India Appointed President, India - United Kingdom Parliament Association by Speaker (Lok Sabha) Appointed - Member of the Steering Committee of Madhya Pradesh assembly election for selection of Congress candidates with Shri Veerappa Moily (Former Chief Minister of Karnataka and Chairman - Administrative Reforms) as Chairman of Steering Committee and Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal (Minister of State for Finance - Banking, Govt of India), also as Member. He has held membership in the following government agencies : - Film Advisory Board of Film Censors, Government of India, 1980-84 Central Purchases Advisory Council, Government of India, 1980-83 National Shipping Board, 1985-89 Committee of Central Board of Direct Taxes, 2004 (till date) Sports and Clubs : - Maharashtra State Sports Council Khar Gymkhana Chembur Gymkhana Cricket Club of India India Habitat Centre, New Delhi United Services Club, Mumbai Hobbies : Reading Traveled Abroad : - Widely traveled in most parts of Europe, USA, Canada, China, South East Asian countries, Middle East etc.