Women in power: Uttar Pradesh CM Mayawati, Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee
Through India’s 77 years of independence, the country has seen only eighteen women rise up to the Chief Minister’s post in their states. For Sucheta Kriplani – India’s first woman CM, it took sixteen years of Independence before the Congress chose a woman in 1963 to lead a state. However, once Indira Gandhi rose to the Prime Ministerial post in 1966, women CMs became more regular in her tenure. Nandini Sathpathy (Orissa), Shashikala Kakodkar (Goa, Daman and Diu) and Anwara Taimur (Assam) all had a single term as CM.
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In the 1990s, women CMs who ruled for multiple terms rose throughout India across party lines. J Jayalalithaa, who took oath for the first time in 1991, changed Tamil Nadu’s polity in her six terms spanning almost fifteen years. Apart from her, Rabri Devi, who was installed as CM by her husband and ex-CM Lalu Yadav, ruled Bihar for three terms between 1997 and 2005, while Mayawati – India’s only Dalit woman CM, ruled Uttar Pradesh for four terms between 1995 and 2012. Congress’ veteran leader Sheila Dikshit was elected as CM in the fag end of the 1990s and led the city for fifteen years.
Since 2000 onwards, single-term women CMs have grown in numbers. However, Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), Vasundhara Raje (Rajasthan) are the only two CMs who have been re-elected for two or more terms. Other CMs who failed to complete even a single term include Madhya Pradesh’s Uma Bharti (2003), Gujarat’s Anandiben Patel (2014), Delhi’s Atishi (2024) and Jammu-Kashmir’s Mehbooba Mufti (2016).
Delhi ranks the highest with four women CMs, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have had two women CMs, while J&K, Orissa, Gujarat, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Goa and Assam have had one each.
Here’s a look at these women’s legacy –
Published – March 08, 2025 06:42 pm IST