Career
Offices, mandates, elections and key dates in a career of service to the Republic.
Offices and mandates
Government
September 2000 — 2003
Minister of Tourism and Leisure
Government of Sir Anerood Jugnauth
2003 — July 2005
Minister of Agriculture
Government of Paul Bérenger
11 May 2010 — 26 July 2011
Minister of Tourism and Leisure
Alliance de l'Avenir Government
15 December 2014 — 12 November 2019
Minister of Public Infrastructure and Land Transport
Governments of Sir Anerood Jugnauth and Pravind Jugnauth
22 March 2019 — 6 February 2021
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade
Government of Pravind Jugnauth
Parliament
11 September 2000 — 4 October 2024
Member of Parliament for Constituency No. 16, Vacoas and Floréal
National Assembly — five terms (2000, 2005, 2010, 2014, 2019)
April 2006 — September 2007
Leader of the Opposition
National Assembly
Party
— 6 February 2021
Secretary General
Mouvement Socialiste Militant (MSM)
23 July 2021 — present
Founder and Leader
Rassemblement Mauricien
Professional career
1982 — 1985
Journalist and Television Newsreader, MBC
Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation
1986 — 1990
Press Attaché to the Prime Minister
Prime Minister's Office (Sir Anerood Jugnauth)
1991 — 1995
Director General
Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation
Elections
| Year | Constituency | Alliance | Result | Votes | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | No. 6 — Grand-Baie and Poudre-d'Or | MSM-RMM | Not elected | — | — |
| 2000 | No. 16 — Vacoas and Floréal | MSM-MMM | Elected | — | — |
| 2005 | No. 16 — Vacoas and Floréal | MSM-MMM | Elected | — | — |
| 2010 | No. 16 — Vacoas and Floréal | Alliance de l'Avenir | Elected | — | — |
| 2014 | No. 16 — Vacoas and Floréal | Alliance Lepep | Elected | 20,201 | 1 |
| 2019 | No. 16 — Vacoas and Floréal | L'Alliance Morisien | Elected | 11,680 | 2 |
| 2024 | No. 16 — Vacoas and Floréal | Linion Reform | Not elected | 4,349 | 7 |
Timeline
48
1950
· Life
Born in the district of Pamplemousses
Nandcoomar Bodha is born into a family of modest means in the north of Mauritius.
1960
· Education
Admission to Royal College Port Louis
With the help of a scholarship, he enters one of the country's most prestigious colleges, where he studies until 1973.
1970
· Education
Higher education in Réunion
He begins studying the humanities at the Centre universitaire de La Réunion.
· Education
Université Rennes 2
He continues his studies in geography and regional planning in Rennes, Brittany.
1980
· Education
Dissertation on participatory urban planning
In Rennes he defends a dissertation on urban development and public consultation in the Cleunay district, then returns to Mauritius to teach French at the Lycée La Bourdonnais.
· Career
Journalist and newsreader at the MBC
He presents the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation's television news until 1985.
· Career
Press Attaché to the Prime Minister
At the request of Sir Anerood Jugnauth, he joins the Prime Minister's Office.
1990
· Career
Director General of the MBC
He heads the public radio and television service until 1995.
· Elections
First general election candidacy
Standing for the MSM-RMM alliance in No. 6, Grand Baie and Poudre d'Or, he is not elected in a contest won 60-0 by the opposing alliance.
· Books
Publication of Beaux songes
His first novel is published by Éditions Bénarès.
2000
· Elections
Elected MP for Vacoas and Floréal
He wins his first term in Constituency No. 16 under the MSM-MMM banner.
· Government
Minister of Tourism and Leisure
Sir Anerood Jugnauth entrusts him with his first ministerial portfolio.
· Government
Minister of Agriculture
He takes charge of the Ministry of Agriculture in Paul Bérenger's government.
· Diplomacy
Speaking for the ACP sugar producers on European reform
At an informal meeting with the European Agriculture Ministers, he speaks, together with Sudan, for the ACP sugar producers and pleads for more time to adjust to the reform of the sugar regime.
· Elections
Re-elected in No. 16
He retains his seat and sits in opposition.
· Government
Leader of the Opposition
He serves as Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly until September 2007.
2010
· Elections
Third term as MP
Re-elected in Vacoas and Floréal as part of the Alliance de l'Avenir.
· Government
Back at the Ministry of Tourism and Leisure
He returns to Tourism, which he leads until the MSM ministers leave the government on 26 July 2011.
· Elections
Tops the poll in No. 16 with 20,201 votes
Fourth term as MP, under the Alliance Lepep banner.
· Government
Minister of Public Infrastructure and Land Transport
He takes charge of major road projects and public transport.
· Honours
Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key (GCSK)
National honour conferred for his contribution in the political and social fields.
· Government
Agreement with Korea Expressway Corporation
A memorandum of understanding with Korea Expressway Corporation frames the technical and financial audit of the decongestion programme, whose budget had already been reduced from Rs 34 billion to Rs 15 billion.
· Government
Metro Express contract signed
An Rs 18.8 billion contract with Larsen & Toubro, of which Rs 9.9 billion is financed by a grant from India.
· Government
Metro Express foundation stone
Official start of works on the first passenger rail network since 1956.
· Government
Works begin at Phoenix and on the A1-M1
Construction starts on the Phoenix interchanges, followed on 6 April by the A1-M1 link.
· Government
Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 2018
Enactment of the law introduced by the Minister: fines of Rs 50,000 to Rs 100,000 for driving while disqualified, disqualification from the fifth offence, penalties for fraud involving licences and parking coupons, and lower blood-alcohol limits.
· Books
Publication of L'Archipel du Sagrin
A novel about the uprooting of the Chagossian people, published by Immedia.
· Diplomacy
Minister of Foreign Affairs
He takes on Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, while retaining Infrastructure.
· Diplomacy
7th Mauritius–European Union Political Dialogue
He leads the Mauritian delegation at the political dialogue with the European Union.
· Government
Terre Rouge–Verdun road reopens
Cut by a landslide in 2015, the road reopens after stabilisation works carried out with French expertise.
· Diplomacy
Chagos speech in the National Assembly
He supports the motion bringing the Chagos into the electoral map and recalls the Rs 50 million Budget provision to prepare for resettlement.
· Diplomacy
AfCFTA ratified
Mauritius ratifies the Agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area.
· Government
Metro Express inaugurated
Prime Ministers Pravind Jugnauth and Narendra Modi inaugurate the first phase, between Port Louis and Rose Hill; commercial service begins on 10 January 2020.
· Diplomacy
Mauritius–China Free Trade Agreement signed
The first free trade agreement concluded by China with an African country.
· Elections
Fifth term as MP
Re-elected in Vacoas and Floréal with 11,680 votes.
· Diplomacy
Reappointed to lead the country's diplomacy
He is sworn in as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade.
2020
· Diplomacy
Repatriating Mauritians stranded by the pandemic
Repatriation flights from Johannesburg, Paris and India are announced.
· Diplomacy
Visit by Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs
He welcomes Toshimitsu Motegi to Mauritius following the grounding of the Wakashio and the resulting oil spill.
· Diplomacy
Free Trade Agreement with China comes into force
Mauritian exporters gain duty-free access to 7,504 Chinese tariff lines.
· Party
Resignation from the government and the MSM
He steps down as minister and as Secretary General of the MSM, citing his values and principles.
· Party
Alliance de l'Espoir
A joint opposition platform with Paul Bérenger, Xavier-Luc Duval and Roshi Bhadain.
· Party
Rassemblement Mauricien founded
The party is launched at the Caudan Arts Centre with twenty-five founding members.
· Party
Linion Moris is born
A coalition of extra-parliamentary parties, co-led with Rama Valayden.
· Party
Linion Reform alliance
An alliance with the Reform Party, with Nando Bodha as its candidate for Prime Minister for the first half of the term.
· Elections
2024 general election
Standing in No. 16, he is not re-elected in an election won by the Alliance du Changement.
· Party
Position on the Chagos agreement
He welcomes a major but partial step forward, stressing that sovereignty remains incomplete for as long as Diego Garcia remains a military base.
· Party
A call for a change of course
He proposes a national consultation on pensions and a strategy for a one-trillion-rupee economy.
· Party
United front against the National Crime Agency Bill
The Rassemblement Mauricien announces a constitutional challenge should the bill be passed.