Sheila Dikshit

Sheila Dikshit
6th Chief Minister of Delhi
In office 03 December 1998 – 28 December 2013
Preceded by	Sushma Swaraj
Succeeded by	Arvind Kejriwal
Member of Legislative Assembly New Delhi Gole Market (1998–2008)
In office 03 December 1998 – 28 December 2013
Preceded by	Kirti Azad
Succeeded by	Arvind Kejriwal
Member of Parliament Kannauj
In office 1984–89
Preceded by	Chhotey Singh Yadav
Succeeded by	Chhotey Singh Yadav
Member of Indian delegation United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
In office 1984–89
Prime Minister	Indira Gandhi Rajiv Gandhi
Personal details
Born	(1938-03-31) 31 March 1938 Kapurthala, Punjab Province, British India
Political party	Indian National Congress
Spouse(s)	Vinod Dixit
Children	Sandeep Dikshit, Latika Dikshit Syed
Alma mater	Miranda House,University of Delhi
Religion	Hinduism
As of 13 August, 2012 Source: Government of Delhi

Sheila Dikshit née Sheila Kapoor^[1] (Hindi: शीला दीक्षित; born 31 March 1938) is an Indian politician who served as the Chief Minister of Delhi from 1998 to 2013. She led the Indian National Congress, to a record three consecutive electoral victories in Delhi. She is often credited for Delhi's growing infrastructure including roads and flyovers, a less polluted city, better public transport system as well as development on the health and educational fronts. And has been criticized for her lack of control over the law enforcement leading to rise of crime in Delhi. In December elections Sheila Dixit lost the election to Arvind Kejriwal by a huge number of votes.^[2]

She represented the New Delhi constituency in the Legislative Assembly of Delhi. She is often regarded as one of the most powerful politicians of the country.

Early years

Sheila Dikshit was born on March 31, 1938 in Kapurthala, Punjab into a Punjabi Khatri family.^[3] She was educated at the Convent of Jesus and Mary School in New Delhi and graduated with a Master of Arts degree in history from the Miranda House at the University of Delhi.^[4] Dikshit was married to late Vinod Dikshit from Unnao District (Unnao), UP, who worked as an officer in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).^[5] Sheila Dikshit has a son, Sandeep Dikshit, and a daughter, Latika Syed. Sandeep Dikshit, a representative of the Indian National Congress, is a Member of Parliament (MP) of the 15th Lok Sabha of India.

Professional career

Dikshit became Chairperson of the Women's Association and was instrumental in setting up two of the most successful hostels for working women in Delhi during the 1970s.^[5] She later worked as executive secretary.

Political career

During the period between 1984 and 1989, she represented Kannauj Parliamentary Constituency of Uttar Pradesh. As a member of Parliament, she served on the Estimates Committee of Lok Sabha. Dikshit also chaired the Implementation Committee for Commemoration of Forty Years of India's Independence and Jawaharlal Nehru centenary. She represented India at United Nations Commission on Status of Women for five years (1984–1989).

She has also served as a Union Minister during 1986–1989, first as the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and later as a Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office.

Dikshit is the longest serving Chief Minister of Delhi having been elected for three consecutive terms starting in 1998. As of Nov 2013, she has served for nearly 15 years as the Chief Minister of Delhi. Shortly after her assuming office, the Congress managed only one of the seven seats in Delhi in the 1999 Lok Sabha Elections. Subsequently, in the 2004 Lok Sabha Elections, the Congress won 6 and then won all 7 seats in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.

Dikshit represented the Gole Market assembly constituency in the 1998 and 2003 Assembly elections and currently represents the reorganized New Delhi constituency formed after the delimitation exercise.

In November 2013, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has declared assets whose value has more than doubled during the past five years, reaching around Rs 2.7 crore. Dikshit's owns an apartment in Nizamuddin East worth around 98 lakh but does not own any vehicle. In her income tax return for 2012–2013, she has shown a total income of around 13 lakh. According to Dikshit's affidavit filed before 2008 assembly election, Dikshit had Rs 1.3 crore in moveable and immoveable properties. She had mentioned Rs 67 lakh in cash and deposits and Rs 63 lakh worth flat in Nizamuddin East.^[6]

Her party was wiped out in the Delhi Legislative Assembly election, 2013 and Arvind Kejriwal founder of Aam Admi party won the election in the New Delhi Assembly constituency by a margin of 25,864 votes.^[7][8] She resigned on 8 December 2013, but remained the care-taker Chief Minister of Delhi till the new Government was sworn in on 28 December 2013. She is the longest serving Chief Minister of the Hindi Heartland.

Contributions

She represented India on the U.N. Commission on Status of Women for five years (1984–1989). In Uttar Pradesh, she and her 82 colleagues were jailed in August 1990 for 23 days by the state government when she led a movement against the atrocities being committed on women. Electrified by this, hundreds of thousands of citizens all over UP joined the movement and courted arrest. Earlier, in the early 1970s, she was chairperson of the Young Women's Association and was instrumental in the setting up two of most successful hostels for working women in Delhi.

She is also the Secretary of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.^{[citation needed]}.

Controversies

Corruption accusations

In 2009, Delhi Lokayukta investigated a complaint filed by advocate Sunita Bhardwaj, a BJP worker, saying that Dikshit misused Rs 3.5 crore received from the Central government under the Jawahar Lal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission for Rajiv Ratan Awas Yojana to give out political advertisements.^[9] The lokayukta later dropped the corruptions claims.^[9][10] The complainant then sought to book Dikshit under the Representation of People’s Act, claiming she had been "misrepresenting facts" about the flats her government had built for the urban poor.^[9] It was ruled by the lokayukta that the government actions did not fall foul of the act but it will try to book her under the Section 2 (b) of the Act that stipulates adherence to norms of conduct and integrity expected of "public functionaries".^[9] The case is now nearing a verdict with the final arguments having begun.

Dikshit has hit back at the lokayukta, stating: "[lokayukta] can't be the sole judge of what is unethical" and the anti-graft watchdog should "limit itself to core corruption issues".^[10]

In August 2013 the obdusmen court ordered an FIR to be filed against her and others for allegedly misusing government funds for an advertising campaign ahead of the 2008 assembly elections.^[11]

Commonwealth Games

Dikshit was accused of corruption regarding the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report allegedly blamed her for irregularities in imported equipment for street lighting in the city during the games. Delhi chief secretary PK Tripathi stated that the Chief Minister played no part in awarding contracts for street lighting in Delhi during the Commonwealth Games.^[12]

Parole to Manu Sharma

On November 2009, Dikshit came under criticism for granting parole to Manu Sharma after media reports of him visiting night clubs in Delhi emerged. Manu Sharma is accused of murdering Jessica Lal and is serving life sentence. Dikshit defended her decision to sign the parole papers, declaring nothing "illegal or unlawful" was done in extending the benefit to the prisoner. The Delhi high court claimed she had given preferential treatment to Sharma in granting parole while neglecting such pleas of "poor" people languishing in jail for years. Asked about the high court's criticism of the decision, Dikshit justified her position, saying "whatever files I receive, they come through proper channels."^[13] Dikshit pointed out Delhi Lt governor paving way for Sharma's parole.^[13]

Her statements in context with the Delhi Rape Case

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's remark in the Assembly on Friday said that only one gang-rape in the city in December last year had prompted her government to launch the 181 helpline drew sharp criticism with BJP saying it reflected her "insensitivity" towards women. In the midst of deep grief over the death of the gang-rape victim at a Singapore hospital, controversial and derogatory statements by some politicians continue to spark outrage among the public.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's "theek hai" remark, which was made at the end of his address to the nation over the Delhi gang-rape incident, drew intense criticism from the public. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit repeated the blunder with her "It's okay" remark after her statement to reporters condoling the death of the young medical student.^[14]

It is said that her remarks regarding this case and her weak attitude led to her defeat in the elections in 2013, where she not only lost her chief minister-ship but also her MLA seat. ^[15]

Honors, Awards and Recognition

• 2008 She was shortlisted for the World Mayor award.^[16]

• 2008 As Chief Minister of Delhi, Dikshit was awarded the Best Chief Minister of India, by Journalist Association of India on 12 July 2008.

• 2009 She was awarded the Politician of the Year by NDTV.^{[citation needed]}.

• 2010 Dikshit was conferred with the prestigious Dara Shikoh award by the Indo-Iran Society for her contribution to peace, harmony and brotherhood.^[17]

• 2013 Dikshit was awarded for Delhi Women of the Decade Achievers Awards 2013, ASSOCHAM Ladies League for Outstanding Public Service.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sheila Dikshit.

• Official profile, Government of Delhi website
• CityMayors profile
• WATER QUALITY STATUS OF YAMUNA RIVER
• SC: Want to take action on Yamuna pollution now
• Projects fail to control pollution in Yamuna: CAG