Varsha Eknath Gaikwad (born 3 February 1975) is an Indian politician serving as a member of parliament, Lok Sabha. She is the President of the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee. Earlier, she was a four term Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (MLA) represented the Dharavi Assembly Constituency in Mumbai (2004-2024).[1][2][3][4] She served as the Cabinet Minister of Maharashtra from 30 December 2019 to 29 June 2022.
Gaikwad won the Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. She defeated BJP candidate Adv. Ujjwal Nikam.[5] She is one of the three Buddhist MPs in the 18th Lok Sabha.[6]
Positions held
edit- 2004 – 2009: Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (1st term)
- 2009 – 2014: Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (2nd term)
- 2009 - 2010: State Minister for Medical Education, Higher and Technical Education, Tourism, Special Assistance
- 2010 – 2014: Cabinet Minister for Women and Child Development, Government of Maharashtra[7][8]
- 2014 – 2019: Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (3rd term)
- 2019 – 2024: Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (4th term)[9]
- Cabinet Minister for School Education Department, Government of Maharashtra
- 2024 – current: Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
Personal life
editVarsha Gaikwad's father is Eknath Gaikwad, who was a three term Member of parliament. She belongs to an Ambedkarite Buddhist family.[10][11][12][13] She was lecturer in Siddharth College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Mumbai.[14]
Celebration
editOn the occasion of his birthday Hazrat Maula Ali Shah Dargah Trust and Muhammad Akram Khan Social Welfare Trust jointly organized an All India Mushaira on 10 February 2010 Sunday, in which BC Mumbai Congress President Kripashankar Singh, Mumbai Congress Minority Department President Nizamuddin Rain and famous Kunwar Javed, Obaid Azam Azmi, Anjum Lucknowi, Sundar Malegaonkar, Irfan Jafri, Quaiser Khalid (Joint Commissioner Mumbai Police), Alam Nizami, Lata Haya, Deepti Mishra, Mumtaz Najaz, and special guests Eknath Gaikwad (MP), Arif Naseem Khan (Minister) were present.[15]
References
edit- ^ "मोठी बातमी! काँग्रेसच्या तिसऱ्या आमदाराचा राजीनामा; अधिवेशनापूर्वीच विधानसभेतील संख्याबळ घटलं" [Big news! Resignation of the third Congress MLA; strength in the Legislative Assembly decreased before the session]. ABP Marathi (in Marathi). Mumbai. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
- ^ "Dharavi Maharashtra Assembly Constituency Elections". Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ "Gaikwad Varsha Eknath of INC WINS the Dharavi constituency Maharastra Assembly Election 2014". newsreporter.in. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ "Varsha Gaikwad tipped to be Mumbai Congress women's wing chief". mid-day.com. 30 March 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/maharashtra-lok-sabha-elections-2024-congress-nominates-varsha-gaikwad-for-north-central-mumbai-seat-amid-controversy
- ^ https://www.dhammabharat.com/buddhist-mps-in-18th-loksabha/
- ^ "Minister for Women and Child Development". indianexpress.com. 23 September 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ "minister for women and child welfare Varsha Gaikwad said Sunday. The minister said the owner of the pizza outlet must be prosecuted for employing a minor and letting him drive a motorcycle without a driving licence". indianexpress.com. July 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ https://marathi.abplive.com/news/politics/3rd-congress-mla-resigns-varsha-gaikwad-meets-president-rahul-narvekar-three-more-will-resigne-soon-1291552/amp
- ^ https://divyamarathi.bhaskar.com/news/23-ministers-belong-to-the-maratha-community-in-thackeray-government-126408482.html
- ^ "39-year-old Varsha Gaikwad, the Congress candidate here". indianexpress.com. 7 October 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ "जानिए- कौन हैं उद्धव कैबिनेट में शामिल हुईं तीन ताकतवर महिलाएं". 31 December 2019.
- ^ https://divyamarathi.bhaskar.com/news/maha-cabinet-expansion-first-cabinet-expansion-of-maha-government-led-by-cm-uddhav-thackeray-126407251.html
- ^ DHNS. "Lok Sabha polls 2024 | Face-off: Ujjwal Nikam vs Varsha Gaikwad". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
- ^ ""प्रा. वर्षा गायकवाड के जन्मदिन के अवसर पर मुशायरे का आयोजन"" ["Organization of Mushaira on the occasion of Prof. Varsha Gaikwad's birthday"]. Aamchi Mumbai Marathi News Paper (in Marathi). p. 3.