From Atishi Marlena to Sushma Swaraj: 10 women Chief Ministers of India in the past

As Atishi Marlena Singh becomes the new Chief Minister of Delhi, joining a group of greatly influential and powerful women who are or have previously held this position, leading the Indian States with utmost dedication, unwavering commitment, and remarkable confidence, this is a great opportunity for us to honor them all while also celebrating Atishi’s new role! Let us look back at the past, exploring and learning more about ten such incredible women who have made their mark, taking on such a challenging responsibility with effortless charisma, and playing an immensely important role in taking Indian politics forward to the position we currently hold, making history.

Atishi Marlena, full name Atishi Marlena Singh, is Delhi’s new Chief Minister. Born on June 8, 1981, she belongs to Rajput Punjabi roots. Atishi was raised in Delhi and graduated from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University in 2001. Furthermore, she obtained a master’s degree in History from Oxford University in 2003. Before becoming the 8th CM of Delhi in September, she, as a member of the Aam Aadmi Party, was positioned as Delhi’s Minister of Education and other departments, and she has also served as an advisor to Manish Sisodia.

Image credit: Instagram/atishi.aap

Sushma Swaraj was born on February 14, 1952, in Ambala and was a highly respected lawyer and politician, making immense contributions and changes to Indian politics. She functioned as the Minister of External Affairs from 2014 to 2019, the second woman to be positioned as the same, after Indira Gandhi. Known for her remarkable work, dedication, and unwavering commitment, she was elected seven times as a Member of Parliament and also served as the Chief Minister of Delhi in 1998. Regretfully, she passed away on August 6, 2019, from a cardiac attack.

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Born on January 5, 1955, in Kolkata, Mamta Banerjee is a well-known Indian politician, currently serving as the Chief Minister of West Bengal. She is known to be the first woman to occupy this post, wrapping up a 34-year rule by the Communist Party. Before being elected as the CM, she was placed in several Union Cabinet positions, some of which included Human Resource Development and Railways. She is also the founder of All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), which she established after leaving the Indian National Congress in 1998.

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Sheila Dikshit was born on March 31, 1938, and passed away on July 20, 2019. She was a renowned Indian politician as well as the longest-in-office Chief Minister of Delhi, starting in 1998. She managed to successfully achieve three back-to-back winnings for the Indian National Congress in Delhi. Sheila Dikshit also functioned briefly as Governor of Kerala and was elected as the president of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee in January 2019. She was an incredible woman and received several awards as well, including the 2008 Best Chief Minister of India award.

Image credit: Instagram/ @officialsheiladikshit

Mayawati, born Kumari Mayawati Das on January 15, 1956, is a renowned Indian politician, known for her notable role in Uttar Pradesh’s political matters. She served as the 18th Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh over several periods in office between 1995 and 2012 and was the first female Scheduled Caste Chief Minister in India. As the national president of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), she significantly upholds social progress and change for oppressed communities. Moreover, she has also served as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from 2012 to 2017.

Image credit: @mayavati_bsp

Born on May 22, 1959, Mehbooba Mufti Sayed is the leader of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and an Indian politician. She was the first Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and functioned from April 4, 2016, to July 19, 2018. She directed a collision government with the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), and before being positioned as the Chief Minister, she was a member of Parliament for Anantnag and worked as the leader of the opposition in the J&K Legislative Assembly.

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Vasundhara Raje, full name Vasundhara Raje Scindia, was born on March 8, 1953. She is a well-known Indian politician with an incredible career. She made her mark in 2023 by becoming the first woman Chief Minister of Rajasthan. Vasundhara has also previously worked in the Union Cabinet under Atal Bihari Vajpayee, positioned as the first minister for small-scale industries and agro- and rural industries. Furthermore, she was awarded the ‘Women Together Award’ by the UNO in 2017 as well as the ‘Best Chief Minister of the Year Award’ in 2018.

Instagram/@vasundhararajeofficial

Rabri Devi Yadav, born on January 1, 1955, is a highly renowned Indian politician who has functioned as the Chief Minister of Bihar in three terms, making her mark as the only female to be positioned in that office to date. Married to Lalu Prasad Yadav, the former Chief Minister of Bihar, Rabri Devi is currently a Member of the Bihar Legislative Council and the Leader of the Opposition there. Furthermore, she was also the leader of the opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly previously. She has been a notable personality throughout her career, in Bihar politics, having an impact on several crucial decisions and policies.

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J. Jayalalithaa, full name Jayaram Jayalalithaa, was born on February 24, 1948. She was a powerful and influential Indian politician, serving as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for a long period of over fourteen years in six terms. Affectionately named "Amma," she was a revolutionary leader to her supporters and followers. Before starting her political career in 1982, Jayalalithaa was a notable personality in Tamil cinema. Furthermore, she directed the AIADMK party, functioning as its general secretary and Chief Minister after the passing away of M.G. Ramachandran’s death. Although she was facing political setbacks and significant legal issues, she still made a remarkable comeback in 2011 by again getting elected as the Chief Minister. Unfortunately, she passed away on December 5, 2016.

Image credit: Instagram/ Jayalalitha_amma