Sushma Swaraj (born February 14, 1952) is an Indian Politician of the
Bharatiya Janata PartyThe Bharatiya Janata Party , translation: Indian People's Party) is a major political party in India, founded in 1980. The party is a strong force in Hindu nationalism and advocates conservative social policies, self-reliance, free market economics, foreign policy driven by a nationalist agenda,...
. She is currently the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the
15th Lok SabhaMembers of the 15th Lok Sabha have been elected in 2009 during the General Elections in India.- List of members by Political Party:-UPA Cabinet by Party:Source: Various news organizations...
. She is a former union cabinet minister of
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
and a former chief minister of
DelhiDelhi, known locally as Dilli , and also by the official name National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis by population in India...
. Also she served as the chairperson of the BJP's 19 member campaign committee for the
2009 General ElectionsIndia held general elections to the 15th Lok Sabha in five phases between 16 April 2009 and 13 May 2009. With an electorate of 714 million , it was the largest democratic election in the world to date....
.
Sushma Swaraj was born in Ambala Cantonment in
HaryanaHaryana is a state in northern India. It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south. Eastern border to Uttarakhand & Uttar Pradesh is defined by river Yamuna. Haryana also surrounds Delhi on three sides, forming the northern, western and...
. She was educated at S.D.
Sushma Swaraj (born February 14, 1952) is an Indian Politician of the
Bharatiya Janata PartyThe Bharatiya Janata Party , translation: Indian People's Party) is a major political party in India, founded in 1980. The party is a strong force in Hindu nationalism and advocates conservative social policies, self-reliance, free market economics, foreign policy driven by a nationalist agenda,...
. She is currently the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the
15th Lok SabhaMembers of the 15th Lok Sabha have been elected in 2009 during the General Elections in India.- List of members by Political Party:-UPA Cabinet by Party:Source: Various news organizations...
. She is a former union cabinet minister of
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
and a former chief minister of
DelhiDelhi, known locally as Dilli , and also by the official name National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis by population in India...
. Also she served as the chairperson of the BJP's 19 member campaign committee for the
2009 General ElectionsIndia held general elections to the 15th Lok Sabha in five phases between 16 April 2009 and 13 May 2009. With an electorate of 714 million , it was the largest democratic election in the world to date....
.
Early life
Sushma Swaraj was born in Ambala Cantonment in
HaryanaHaryana is a state in northern India. It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south. Eastern border to Uttarakhand & Uttar Pradesh is defined by river Yamuna. Haryana also surrounds Delhi on three sides, forming the northern, western and...
. She was educated at S.D. College, Ambala Cantonment and earned a B.A. degree. She studied LL.B. from the Law Department of Panjab University,
ChandigarhChandigarh , is a union territory of India, that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name translates to English as "The Fort of Chandi". The name was coined from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu Goddess Chandi, present in the city's vicinity....
. She married
Swaraj KaushalSwaraj Kaushal is a former governor of Mizoram.Born in 1952 in Solan he studied law at Punjab University. He married Sushma Swaraj in 1975 and they have a daughter....
on July 13, 1975 and has one daughter. She is an advocate by profession. She began her political career as a student leader in the 1970s, organizing protests against
Indira GandhiIndira Priyadarshini Gandhi Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi ( Indirā Priyadarśinī Gāndhī; née: Nehru; (19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was the Prime Minister of the Republic of India for three consecutive terms from 1966 to 1977...
's government.
She has been associated with many social and cultural bodies in various capacities. She was President of the Hindi Sahitya Sammelan,
HaryanaHaryana is a state in northern India. It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south. Eastern border to Uttarakhand & Uttar Pradesh is defined by river Yamuna. Haryana also surrounds Delhi on three sides, forming the northern, western and...
for four years.
Political career
She was a member of the
HaryanaHaryana is a state in northern India. It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south. Eastern border to Uttarakhand & Uttar Pradesh is defined by river Yamuna. Haryana also surrounds Delhi on three sides, forming the northern, western and...
Legislative Assembly from 1977-82 and then from 1987-90. As a
Janata PartyThe Janata Party was an amalgam of Indian political parties opposed to the state of emergency imposed by the government of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her Indian National Congress...
MLA in Devi Lal's government, she was the Cabinet Minister of Labour and Employment (1977-1979). She joined the BJP in 1980. Under a combined Lok Dal-BJP government led by Devi Lal, she was the Cabinet Minister of Education, Food and Civil Supplies (1987-1990). She was judged Best Speaker of Haryana State Assembly for three consecutive years.
In 1980, 1984, and 1989, she unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections from
KarnalKarnal is an important city and the headquarters of Karnal District in the Indian state of Haryana. Karnal is said to have been founded by the Kauravas in the Mahabharata era for the king Karna, a mythological hero & a key figure in the epic tale...
in Haryana. All three times, she was defeated by the Congress Party's Chiranji Lal Sharma.
She was elected as a member of the
Rajya SabhaThe Rajya Sabha is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature, science, and social services. These members are known as nominated members...
in 1990. In 1996, she was elected to the
11th Lok SabhaList of Members of the 11th Lok Sabha, elected during Indian general election, 1996 held during April-May 1996. The Lok Sabha is the lower house in the Parliament of India.- Important members :* Speaker:**P. A...
from
South DelhiSouth Delhi is an administrative district of the National Capital Territory of Delhi in India.It is bounded by the Yamuna River to the east, and by the districts of New Delhi to the north, East Delhi to the northeast across the Yamuna, Gautam Buddha Nagar District of Uttar Pradesh state to the east...
. She was Union Cabinet Minister of Information and Broadcasting in 1996, during the 13-day
Atal Bihari VajpayeeAtal Bihari Vajpayee , is an Indian statesman, who served as the eleventh Prime Minister of India. After a brief stint as Prime Minister in 1996, Vajpayee headed a coalition government from March 19, 1998 until May 19, 2004. He continued to served as an MP from Lucknow until 2009...
Government.
She was re-elected to
12th Lok SabhaList of Members of the 12th Lok Sabha, after Indian general election, 1998 held during February-March 1998. The Lok Sabha is the lower house in the Parliament of India.- Important members :* Speaker:...
for a 2nd term in 1998. Under the second Vajpayee government, she retained the Information and Broadcasting ministry and had additional charge of the Ministry of Telecommunications from March 19 to October 12, 1998.
She left the Union Cabinet from October - December 1998 to serve as the first woman
Chief MinisterA Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British overseas territory that has attained self-government...
of
DelhiDelhi, known locally as Dilli , and also by the official name National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis by population in India...
. The BJP lost the assembly elections, and she returned to national politics.
In 1999, she took on a high profile as she contested against the Congress party's President,
Sonia GandhiSonia Gandhi is the Italian-born President of the Indian National Congress and the widow of former Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi...
, from the
Bellary-Members of Parliament:Mysore State:*1951: T. Subramanyam, Indian National Congress*1957: T. Subramanyam, Indian National Congress*1962: T. Subramanyam, Indian National Congress*1967: V.K.R.V. Rao, Indian National Congress...
constituency in
KarnatakaKarnataka is a state in the southern part of India. It was created on November 1, 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act...
, which had returned Congress winners since India's independence. The fervent, high-pitched campaign came to an end with the expected loss of Sushma, Gandhi polled 51.7 percent of the vote, Swaraj coming not too far behind with 44.7 percent.
She returned to Parliament in April 2000 as a
Rajya SabhaThe Rajya Sabha is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature, science, and social services. These members are known as nominated members...
member from
UttarakhandUttarakhand , is a state located in the northern part of India. It was carved out of Himalayan and adjoining districts of Uttar Pradesh on 9 November 2000, becoming the 27th state of the Republic of India...
. She was re-inducted into the cabinet as the Minister of Information and Broadcasting, which she held from September 2000 until January 2003. At that time, she was made the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, and also held the post of Minister of Parliamentary Affairs. She held these posts from January 2003 until May 2004, when the
National Democratic AllianceThe National Democratic Alliance is a name used by political parties of several countries:*National Democratic Alliance *National Democratic Alliance *National Democratic Alliance...
government lost elections.
In a heavily publicized and emotionally charged episode following the elections, Sushma Swaraj threatened to shave her head, don a white saree and eat groundnuts (symbollically mourning) if
Sonia GandhiSonia Gandhi is the Italian-born President of the Indian National Congress and the widow of former Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi...
, the Italian-born
CongressThe Indian National Congress is a major political party in India. Founded in 1885 by Allan Octavian Hume, Dadabhai Naoroji, Dinshaw Wacha, Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee, Surendranath Banerjee, Monomohun Ghose, and William Wedderburn, the Indian National Congress became the leader of the Indian...
leader, became
Prime MinisterA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. The position is usually held by, but need not always be held by, a politician. In many systems, the prime minister selects and can dismiss other members of the cabinet, and...
.
She was re-elected to the
Rajya SabhaThe Rajya Sabha is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature, science, and social services. These members are known as nominated members...
in April 2006 from
Madhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal. Madhya Pradesh was originally the largest state in India until November 1, 2000 when the state of Chhattisgarh was carved out...
. She served as the deputy leader of BJP in Rajya Sabha. Speculation ran high that Sushma Swaraj was one of the top contenders to be President of the BJP, following Advani's resignation from that role in late 2005.
Rajnath SinghRajnath Singh is a prominent Indian politician and the current President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is the largest Opposition party in India. He was previously president of the BJP youth wing and the BJP's unit in his home state of Uttar Pradesh...
ultimately was elected to that post.
She won the 2009 election to the
15th Lok SabhaMembers of the 15th Lok Sabha have been elected in 2009 during the General Elections in India.- List of members by Political Party:-UPA Cabinet by Party:Source: Various news organizations...
from the
VidishaVidisha or Besnagar or old name Bhelsa is a city in the central Indian state Madhya Pradesh, near its capital Bhopal. It is the administrative headquarters of Vidisha District.-History:...
constituency in
Madhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal. Madhya Pradesh was originally the largest state in India until November 1, 2000 when the state of Chhattisgarh was carved out...
, on a BJP candidacy, by a record margin of 3.89 lakh votes. This is her 10th election. She is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the
15th Lok SabhaMembers of the 15th Lok Sabha have been elected in 2009 during the General Elections in India.- List of members by Political Party:-UPA Cabinet by Party:Source: Various news organizations...
, and is expected to become
Leader of the OppositionThe Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest party not in government in a Westminster System of parliamentary government...
in the house when L.K. Advani steps down from the post, per his wishes.
Positions Held
- 1977-82 and 1987-90 Member, Haryana Legislative Assembly
- 1977-79 Cabinet Minister, Labour and Employment, Government of Haryana
- 1987-90 Cabinet Minister, Education, Food and Civil Supplies, Government of Haryana
The Government of Haryana also known as the State Government of Haryana, or locally as State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Haryana and its 20 districts...
- April 1990 Elected to Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature, science, and social services. These members are known as nominated members...
- 1996 Member, Eleventh Lok Sabha
- 16 May-1 June 1996 Union Cabinet Minister, Information and Broadcasting
- 1998 Member, Twelfth Lok Sabha (2nd term)
- 19 March-12 Oct.1998 Union Cabinet Minister, Information and Broadcasting and Telecommunications (Additional charge)
- 13 Oct.-3 Dec. 1998 Chief Minister
A Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British overseas territory that has attained self-government...
, DelhiDelhi, known locally as Dilli , and also by the official name National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis by population in India...
- April 2000 Elected to Rajya Sabha (2nd term)
- 30 Sept. 2000-29 Jan. 2003 Minister of Information and Broadcasting
- 29 Jan. 2003 - 22 May 2004 Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs
- April 2006 Re-elected to Rajya Sabha (3rd term)
- 16 May 2009 Elected to the 15th Lok Sabha
- 3 June 2009 Elected as Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha