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Anandiben Patel, 73, who was on Wednesday named as the chief minister of Gujarat succeeding Prime Minister designate Narendra Modi, has never lost an Assembly election in her political career. Beginning from 1998, when she contested from Mandal Assembly seat to 2012 when she was fielded from Ghatlodia seat in Ahmedabad city by the party, she has increased her margins every time on her way, stamping her authority in the party to becoming the first woman chief minister of Gujarat.
However, it is worth-noting that she wasn't very keen to take the political plunge.
A meeting between Keshubhai Patel, Shankersinh Vaghela and Narendra Modi, now former Chief Ministers of Gujarat, at Anandiben Patel and Mafatlal Patel's residence at Memnagar in Ahmedabad city in 1986, gave Anandiben, then a teacher with Mohinaba Girls' School in Ahmedabad, a foothold in politics.
"I was a member of Ahmedabad district panchayat, ruled by BJP. In 1986, Keshubhai Patel, Shankersinh Vaghela and Narendra Modi held a meeting at my residence in Memnagar," recalls Mafatlal, Anandiben's estranged husband.
"Keshubhai, Vaghela and Modi urged her to join politics. It would be good if she joined politics as there were very few women in politics then," says Mafatlal.
When she joined the BJP in 1988, she was principal at Mohinaba Girls' School. She continued as principal of the school till 1998. Between this, she became a member of the Upper House in 1994 before putting in her papers as Member of Parliament after the party asked her to contest the 1998 Assembly elections from Mandal Assembly seat.
After winning from Mandal, Keshubhai Patel, then Chief Minister, inducted her into the Cabinet and gave her education portfolio. Credited with the massive school enrollment programme ('Shala Praveshotsav'), she won from Patan Assembly seat in 2002 again and was given the education portfolio, but this time under Modi, with whom she shared a special relationship.
In 2007 after winning again from Patan Assembly constituency, she was given the revenue ministry where she heralded elaborate land surveys and digitization of land records in the latter part of her tenure.
A close confidant of Modi, Anandiben, who was shifted to Ghatlodia Assembly segment in Ahmedabad in 2012 Assembly elections in Gujarat, has played a key role in his trouble-shooting team. Modi's confidence in her became evident when he appointed her as the head of the committee of ministers to negotiate with the agitating farmers in the Mandal-Becharaji region.
The farmers were up in arms against the state government after 44 villages in Mandal-Becharaji region were notified to be part of an upcoming Special Investment Region (SIR). After nearly 5,000 farmers took out a protest rally to Gandhinagar in June, Modi met farmers personally in July and formed a committee of ministers comprising Saurabh Patel, Nitin Patel, Bhupendrabhai Chudasama and headed by Anandiben Patel to look into the situation and allay farmers' fears.
Modi gave out signals about his choice for the top post in Gujarat, his heir-apparent, when he chose her to head a group of ministers who were to manage day-to-day affairs in Gujarat in his absence. This group again comprised Saurabh Patel, Nitin Patel and Chudasama and was headed by Anandiben.
Before the political plunge, her student life comprised encouraging girls from nearby villages to take up studies and various activities for women's empowerment. That she was the only girl student in college in Pilwai in Vijapur and before that the only girl student in high school motivated all the more to encourage girls to take up studies.
"I was the only girl student at Pilwai Science and Arts College and Keshubhai Patel, a Gujarati Professor, asked me to visit villages adjoining Pilwai to motivate girls to study. I visited these villages, made girls realize the importance of studying and urged them to take up studies," she had told Business Standard earlier.
An early riser, Anandiben starts her day at 5:30 AM with yoga and pranayama, much in the footsteps of her predecessor Modi. This is followed by review of work.
A keen administrator, she visits various parts of the state regularly from Thursday to Sunday that includes review of departments, meeting with local leaders, and even sharing lunch and dinner with local party workers to cement the bond. Mondays and Tuesdays are reserved for meeting common citizens while Wednesdays are for meeting with departmental heads and officials to take new decisions and solve pending issues.
JOURNEY FROM TEACHER TO CHIEF MINISTER
November 21, 1941 - Born in Kharod village in Vijapur taluka (tehsil) of Mehsana district in North Gujarat. Located 60 km north of Gandhinagar. Her father Jethabhai was a teacher.
1950 - Anandiben's parents enrolled her in boy’s school from 5th-7th grade. This incident created a significant impact on Anandiben’s mind about importance of education.
1954 - Moved to Visnagar and enrolled in N M High school in the eighth grade with only two girls in the entire school
1956 - Received 'Veerbala' award for ranking first in Mehsana district school sports event.
1960 - Enrolled for B.Sc. at Science College in Pilwai in Visnagar.
1967 - Joined Mohniba Girls’s School as Science and Maths teacher. Served in this school for 30 years.
1986 - Appointed principal of Mohniba Girls' School.
1987 - Saved two students from drowning in river Narmada. She was later felicitated with Gallantry award by the Governor of Gujarat.
1992 - Joined ‘Ekta Yatra’ of Bharatiya Janta Party from Kanyakumari to Srinagar in 1992 when the terrorists threatened the people in Kashmir against hoisting the national flag. She was the only woman leader from Gujarat
1994 - Was elected to Rajya Sabha from Gujarat. Remained a Member of Parliament till 1998 when she resigned to contest the state Assembly polls.
1995 - Participated in the fourth world women’s conference at Beijing in China as a representative of India, being a member of Rajya Sabha.
1998 - Was fielded by BJP from Mandal Assembly seat. Emerged victorious over her nearest rival by 3,029 votes. Was minister of education and women and child welfare departments in the government formed under Keshubhai Patel.
2002 - Broke the jinx of education ministers not getting re-elected. Party fielded her from Patan Assembly constituency. She won again. Became education, sports, culture and youth affairs minister.
2007 - Won again from Patan seat. Was Revenue, disaster management, women and child welfare department portfolio.
2012 - Anti-incumbency forced the party to shift her from Patan to Ghatlodia Assembly seat. Won by the highest margin of 1,10, 395 votes.
2014 - Unanimously elected as the chief minister of Gujarat. Becomes the first woman chief minister of Gujarat.
