1. Early years

2. Political career

3. Personal life

4. Awards and recognition

5. See also

6. References

7. External links

Sheila Dikshit (née Kapoor;^[2] occasionally anglicised Dixit; born 31 March 1938) is an Indian politician who was the longest serving Chief Minister of Delhi, serving for a period of 15 years from 1998 to 2013. Dikshit led Congress party to three consecutive electoral victories in Delhi. In the December 2013 elections to the Delhi Legislative Assembly, Dikshit was defeated in New Delhi constituency by Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal, who replaced her as Delhi's chief minister.

Subsequently, she was sworn in as Governor of Kerala on 11 March 2014. However, she resigned on 25 August 2014.^[3] She had been declared as Chief Ministerial candidate for the Indian National Congress in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, 2017; however she later withdrew. She was appointed as president of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee on January 10, 2019.^[4]

Early years

Sheila Kapoor was born on 31 March 1938 in Kapurthala, Punjab into a Punjabi Khatri family.^[5] She was educated at the Convent of Jesus and Mary School in New Delhi and graduated with a Master of Arts degree in history from the Miranda House at the University of Delhi.^[6]

Political career

During the period between 1984 and 1989, she represented Kannauj parliamentary constituency of Uttar Pradesh. As a member of Parliament, she served on the Estimates Committee of Lok Sabha. Dikshit also chaired the Implementation Committee for Commemoration of Forty Years of India's Independence and Jawaharlal Nehru centenary. She represented India at United Nations Commission on Status of Women for five years (1984–1989). 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 Uttar Pradesh, she and her 82 colleagues were jailed in August 1990 for 23 days by the state government when she led a movement against the atrocities being committed on women. Earlier, in the early 1970s, she was chairperson of the Young Women's Association and was instrumental in the setting up two of the most successful hostels for working women in Delhi. She is also the Secretary of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}.

In the 1998 parliamentary elections, Dikshit was defeated by Bharatiya Janata Party's Lal Bihari Tiwari in East Delhi constituency. Later, Dikshit became Chief Minister of Delhi in 1998. She served for nearly 15 years as the Chief Minister of Delhi until 2013. Dikshit represented the Gole Market assembly constituency in the 1998 and 2003 Assembly elections and New Delhi constituency from 2008.

In 2009, the Delhi Lokayukta (anti-corruption ombudsman) investigated a complaint filed by advocate Sunita Bhardwaj, a BJP worker, saying that Dikshit misused 3.5 crore rupees received from the Central government under the Jawahar Lal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission for Rajiv Ratan Awas Yojana to give out political advertisements.^[7] The Lokayukta later dropped the corruptions claims.^[7][8] The complainant then sought to book Dikshit under the Representation of People’s Act, claiming she had been "misrepresenting facts" about the flats her government had built for the urban poor.^[7] It was ruled by the Lokayukta that the government actions did not fall foul of the act but it will try to book her under the Section 2 (b) of the Act that stipulates adherence to norms of conduct and integrity expected of "public functionaries".^[7] The case is now{{when|date=December 2014}} nearing a verdict with the final arguments having begun.{{citation needed|date=December 2014}} Dikshit hit back at the Lokayukta, stating: "[Lokayukta] can't be the sole judge of what is unethical" and the anti-graft watchdog should "limit itself to core corruption issues".^[8]

In November 2009, Dikshit came under criticism for granting parole to convicted murderer Manu Sharma after media reports of him visiting night clubs in Delhi emerged. Sharma was jailed for murdering Jessica Lal and is serving a life sentence. Dikshit defended her decision to sign the parole papers, declaring nothing "illegal or unlawful" was done in extending the benefit to the prisoner. The Delhi high court noted that she had given preferential treatment to Sharma in granting parole while neglecting such pleas of "poor" people languishing in jail for years. Asked about the high court's criticism of the decision, Dikshit justified her position, saying "whatever files I receive, they come through proper channels."^[9] She further alleged that the Delhi Lieutenant-Governor was responsible for paving the way for Sharma's parole.^[9]

Dikshit was accused of corruption regarding the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report allegedly blamed her for irregularities in imported equipment for street lighting in the city during the games. Delhi chief secretary P. K. Tripathi stated that the Chief Minister played no part in awarding contracts for street lighting in Delhi during the Commonwealth Games.^[10]

Dikshit's remark in the Assembly said that only one gang rape in the city in December 2012 had prompted her government to launch the 181 helpline drew sharp criticism with the BJP saying it reflected her "insensitivity" towards women. {{citation needed|date=December 2014}}

In August 2013 the ombudsman court ordered an FIR to be filed against her and others for allegedly misusing government funds for an advertising campaign ahead of the 2008 assembly elections.^[11] But no charges were ever brought.^[12]

Her party was wiped out in the Delhi Legislative Assembly election, 2013 and Arvind Kejriwal founder of Aam Admi party won the election in the New Delhi Assembly constituency by a margin of 25,864 votes.^[13][14] 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. She was appointed as the Governor of Kerala in March 2014, but was forced to resign five months later.^[15]

Personal life

Dikshit was married to Vinod Dikshit, son of independence activist and former West Bengal Governor Uma Shankar Dikshit, who came from Ugu village of Unnao in Uttar Pradesh.^[16] He was as an officer in the Indian Administrative Service. He died due to a heart attack in a train journey with his wife and children.

Dikshit has two children including a son, Sandeep Dikshit, who is a former Member of Parliament of the 15th Lok Sabha from East Delhi.^[17] and a daughter, Latika Syed.

Awards and recognition

• 2008 Best Chief Minister of India, by Journalist Association of India{{Citation needed|date=March 2014}}
• 2009 Politician of the Year by NDTV{{Citation needed|date=March 2011}}
• 2010 Dara Shikoh award by Indo-Iran Society ^[18]
• 2013 Delhi Women of the Decade Achievers Award 2013 by ALL Ladies League for Outstanding Public Service.^[19]

See also

• Fifth Legislative Assembly of Delhi

References

External links

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120814044512/http://delhi.gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/DoIT_DGE/directorate+of+gurdwara+elections/minister/sheila+dikshit Official profile, Government of Delhi website]

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