New Delhi: Sheila Dikshit, a veteran Congress leader and longest serving Chief Minister of Delhi passed away aged 81 following serious heart ailment.
She breathed her last at Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, where she was taken after a cardiac arrest on early hours of July 20.
We look at her journey starting from Chairperson of Young Women's Association in the early 1970's to a 15 year stint at the helm of Delhi affairs.
Personal Background
- Sheila Dikshit was born on March 31, 1938 in Kapurthala, Punjab.
- She completed her schooling in Convent of Jesus and Mary School in New Delhi and later went on to do her Masters in History from University of Delhi.
- Her husband, late Vinod Dikshit worked as an officer in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). Dikshit met Vinod while undertaking a course on ancient Indian history during her euphoric days at University of Delhi.
- She has one son, Sandeep and one daughter, Latika Syed. Sandeep Dikshit is former MP and a member of the Indian National Congress (INC).
Professional Background
In the 1970s, Sheila Dikshit was the chairperson of the Young Women’s Association. During this period, she helped set up two of the most successful working women’s hostel. After that, Dikshit also worked for Garment Exporters' Association as an executive secretary.
Political innings
- Sheila Dikshit's entry into Indian politics was accidental. Her memoirs frequently depicts the ambience within the Congress, from the days of Indira Gandhi to her Chief ministership.
- Her innings began when Late Uma Shankar Dikshit, her father-in-law, became a Union cabinet minister in the Indira Gandhi government and made Sheila Dikshit his informal assistant.
- Indira Gandhi acknowledged her administrative skills and went on to nominate Dikshit as an Indian delegate of the United Nations Commission on the issue of status of Woman (CSW).
- However, her formal entry had to wait till 1984, when then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi asked her to contest to parliament from the state of Uttar Pradesh.
- Following her victory from Kannauj constituency in the next general elections, Dikshit was awarded a ministerial birth when she was made MoS for Parliamentary affairs after a 18 month stint in the Lok Sabha.
- Unfortunately her foray suffered a setback and she lasted only one term from her first constituency. After a gap, Sonia Gandhi asked her to contest from BJP's stronghold at the time, the sprawling East Delhi constituency. But Dikshit did make her name in Indian politics as the three-term chief minister of Delhi. She was a newcomer backed by Sonia Gandhi. The local party barons, like Bhagat and Jagdish Tytler, however, made strong efforts to topple her. Later, in 2005, a routine Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee meeting turned into a battleground. Once again she had the support of Sonia.
- After a fairly successful stint in the metropolis, her achievements include setting up new universities and hospitals. Piloting monetary benefit scheme for school-going girls and widows and initiating policies for spreading awareness for women's hygiene.
- She received Journalist Association of India's Best Chief Minister award in 2008 and Delhi Women of the Decade Achievers awards by ASSOCHAM in 2013.
- Ironically, her innings came to an end after she suffered a crushing defeat in state elections with Congress party's tally reading a all-time of Eight seats.
- She sailed through many storms in her long political innings and sought to steer the faction-ridden party out of oblivion after she was made the Delhi Congress chief ahead of assembly polls.
- She was again made the Delhi Congress chief just ahead of Lok Sabha election to take the party out of wilderness, but she herself lost the North East seat in Delhi to BJP's Manoj Tiwari and the party drew a drubbing.
- Sheila Dikshit has been an introvert in her political journey, being detached from the pain of being stripped from power. She welcomed her defeat cordially, resting her arms on the table, awaiting a slightest possibility to make a come back, once again.
