Sushma Swaraj
| Sushma Swaraj | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Leader of Opposition (Lok Sabha) | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 18 December 2009 |
|
| Preceded by | Lal Krishna Advani |
| Constituency | Vidisha (Madhya Pradesh) |
| Minister of Information and Broadcasting | |
| In office 30 September 2000 – 29 January 2003 |
|
| Prime Minister | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Chief Minister of Delhi | |
| In office 13 October 1998 – 3 December 1998 |
|
| Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Telecommunications | |
| In office 19 March 1998 – 12 October 1998 |
|
| Prime Minister | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Minister of Information and Broadcasting | |
| In office 16 May 1996 – 1 June 1996 |
|
| Prime Minister | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Haryana State Minister of Education, Food and Civil Supplies | |
| In office 1987–1990 |
|
| Haryana State Minister of Labour and Employment | |
| In office 1977–1979 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 February 1952 Palwal, Haryana |
| Political party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Spouse(s) | Swaraj Kaushal |
| Residence | New Delhi |
| Alma mater | Punjab University, Chandigarh |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Military service | |
| Awards | Outstanding Parliamentarian Award in 2004 and 2010 |
Sushma Swaraj (Hindi: सुष्मा स्वराज
pronunciation (help·info)) (born 14 February 1952) is an Indian politician of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)and Member of Parliament. She is currently the Leader of the Opposition in the 15th Lok Sabha. She is a former union cabinet minister of India and a former Chief Minister of Delhi. Also she served as the Chairperson of the BJP's 19 member campaign committee for the 2009 General Elections. She was the first female Chief Minister of Delhi.
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[edit] Early life
She was born in Palwal, Haryana. She was educated at S.D. College, Ambala Cantonment and earned a B.A. degree. She studied LL.B. from the Law Department of Punjab University, Chandigarh. She is an advocate by profession.[1]
She has been associated with many social and cultural bodies in various capacities. She was President of the Sahitya Sammelan, Haryana for four years.
[edit] Political career
Sushma Swaraj began her political career as a student leader in the 1970s, organizing protests against Indira Gandhi's government. She was a member of the Haryana Legislative Assembly from 1977–82 and then from 1987–90. As a Janata Party 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 Karnal 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 Sabha in 1990. In 1996, she was elected to the 11th Lok Sabha from South Delhi. She was Union Cabinet Minister of Information and Broadcasting in 1996, during the 13-day Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government.
She was re-elected to 12th Lok Sabha 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 19 March to 12 October 1998.
She left the Union Cabinet from October – December 1998 to serve as the first woman Chief Minister of Delhi. 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 Gandhi, from the Bellary constituency in Karnatka, 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.[2]
She returned to Parliament in April 2000 as a Rajya Sabha member from Uttarakhand.[3] 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 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 (symbolically mourning) if Sonia Gandhi, the Italian-born Congress leader, became Prime Minister of India.
She was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha in April 2006 from Madhya Pradesh. 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 Singh ultimately was elected to that post.
She won the 2009 election to the 15th Lok Sabha from the Vidisha constituency in Madhya Pradesh, on a BJP candidacy, by a highest margin of 4.01 lakh votes. This is her 10th election.
She has been awarded by Outstanding Parliamentarian Award twice.
[edit] Leader of the opposition
Sushma Swaraj appointed as leader of the opposition party and replaced Lal Krishna Advani in December 2009 in the 15th Lok Sabha,[4]
[edit] Personal life
She married Swaraj Kaushal on 13 July 1975 and has a daughter.
[edit] Positions held
- 1977–82 and 1987–90 Member, Haryana Legislative Assembly.[1]
- 1977–79 Cabinet Minister, Labour and Employment, Government of Haryana.[1]
- 1987–90 Cabinet Minister, Education, Food and Civil Supplies, Government of Haryana.[1]
- April 1990 Elected to Rajya Sabha
- 1996 Member, Eleventh Lok Sabha
- 16 May-1 June 1996 Union Cabinet Minister, Information and Broadcasting.[1]
- 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, Delhi
- April 2000 Elected to Rajya Sabha (2nd term)[5]
- 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)[6]
- 16 May 2009 Elected to the 15th Lok Sabha.[1]
- 3 June 2009 Elected as Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.[1]
- 18 Dec 2009 Sushma Swaraj appointed as leader of the opposition party and replaced Lal Krishna Advani in December 2009.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g Detailed Profile – Smt. Sushma Swaraj – Members of Parliament (Lok Sabha) – Who's Who – Government: National Portal of India. India.gov.in. Retrieved on 2011-07-30.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ SUSHMA SWARAJ (1952--)
- ^ "Advani quits, Sushma appointed Lok Sabha Opposition leader". The Times of India. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Advani-quits-Sushma-appointed-Lok-Sabha-Opposition-leader/articleshow/5352525.cms. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
- ^ Brief Bio-data. Member of Rajya Sabha. SUSHMA SWARAJ, SHRIMATI
- ^ Detailed Profile – - Members of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) – Who's Who – Government: National Portal of India. India.gov.in. Retrieved on 2011-07-30.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sahib Singh Verma |
Chief Minister of the Delhi 1998 |
Succeeded by Sheila Dikshit |
