Maneka Gandhi

She has carved a niche for herself in Delhi circles

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Women and Child Development minister

Date & year of birth: August 26, 1956
Constituency: Pilibhit
Whether represented the constituency before: Yes
Whether held ministerial charge earlier: Yes

Maneka Gandhi, the other Gandhi daughter-in-law, has not got the Union environment ministry, a post she has held before and has retained the passion for ever since. Under Narendra Modi, she has been appointed a cabinet minister in charge of women and child welfare.  

Maneka has seen a lot in her tumultuous personal and political life and seen it early. Born in August 26, 1956, Maneka, finishing her college in Delhi, marrying Sanjay Gandhi in 1974, widowed at the age of 23 in 1980, falling out with her mother-in-law to form a political outfit in 1983, she became a Union minister at just 33 in 1989. She was given the environment ministry with an independent charge as minister of state. She grabbed that chance, to carve a niche for herself in the Delhi circles and beyond as an avid animal rights activist.

At the same time, she nurtured her pocket-borough Pilibhit ensuring that she is now veteran seven-time MP having lost from her base only once in 1991 and vacating it in 2009 for her son to win from Aonla instead. Her son Varun Gandhi won Pilibhit in 2009.