Sign In
image: Shutterstock
Sheila Dikshit, an exemplary stateswoman and Indian politician held the office as "Chief Minister of Delhi '' for three consecutive terms from the year 1998 to 2013.
She was the longest-serving Chief Minister of Delhi and also the longest-serving female Chief Minister of any Indian state.
Recognized as the "Architect Of Modern Delhi", Sheila Dikshit's political career is a gold standard for men and women alike, to imbibe and learn from.
Born in 1938 in Kapurthala, Punjab to a Punjabi Khatri family, she completed her education with a Master of Arts degree in history from Miranda House at the University of Delhi.
Her acumen in the administration field was first spotted by the then Prime Minister of India, Mrs.Indira Gandhi, when she used to assist her father-in-law as he was a Cabinet Minister in Mrs. Gandhi's Government.
Her journey in the political arena of the country started off as a delegate of the United Nations Commission on the issue of status of women.
Mrs. Sheila Dikshit was among the few, who were hand-picked by Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, to be a part of his cabinet in the year 1984.
During the period between 1984-1989,she represented Kannauj parliamentary constituency of Uttar Pradesh.
Mrs. Dikshit was on the Estimates Committee of Lok Sabha and also chaired the Implementation Committee for Commemoration of Forty Years of India's Independence and Jawaharlal Nehru centenary.
She also represented India at the United Nations Commission on Status of Women for five years from 1984 to 1989.
She also served as a Union Minister during 1986–1989, first as the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and later as a minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office.
In the early 1970s, she played a very crucial role in the construction of two of the most successful hostels for working women in Delhi.
It was in the year 2013, when Congress got wiped out in the Delhi Legislative Assembly elections and she lost to Arvind Kejriwal, founder of the Aam Aadmi party by a margin of 25,864 votes. She resigned on 8 December 2013, but remained the caretaker chief minister of Delhi till the new government was sworn in on 28 December 2013.
Mrs.Dikhshit was also appointed as the governor of Kerala in March 2014, but was forced to resign five months later. She even contested the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections as the candidate for Indian National Congress in the North East Delhi Constituency but came second after Bharatiya Janata Party's Manoj Tiwari.
Mrs. Sheila Dikshit was a force to reckon with and served as the best Chief Minister of Delhi. She remains a significant part of each one of us, who believe they can achieve anything with the right mind-set.
She will be a source of inspiration for generations to come.
Also read: Healthntrends Fab 40: Newly-Appointed Female Judges That Changed SC's History
Loading...