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Anandiben Patel | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Patelc. 2022 | |
| Governor of Uttar Pradesh | |
| Assumed office 29 July 2019 | |
| Chief Minister | Yogi Adityanath |
| Preceded by | Ram Naik |
| Governor of Madhya Pradesh | |
Additional Charge | |
| In office 1 July 2020 – 8 July 2021 | |
| Chief Minister | Shivraj Singh Chouhan |
| Preceded by | Lalji Tandon |
| Succeeded by | Mangubhai C. Patel |
| In office 23 January 2018 – 28 July 2019 | |
| Chief Minister | Shivraj Singh Chouhan Kamal Nath |
| Preceded by | Om Prakash Kohli (additional charge) |
| Succeeded by | Lalji Tandon |
| Governor of Chhattisgarh | |
Additional Charge | |
| In office 15 August 2018 – 28 July 2019 | |
| Chief Minister | Prof. Raman Singh Bhupesh Baghel |
| Preceded by | Balram Das Tandon |
| Succeeded by | Anusuiya Uikey |
| 15th Chief Minister of Gujarat | |
| In office 22 May 2014 – 7 August 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Narendra Modi |
| Succeeded by | Vijay Rupani |
| Member ofGujarat Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 24 May 2012 – 13 July 2016 | |
| Constituency | Ghatlodiya |
| In office 26 May 2002 – 22 June 2012 | |
| Constituency | Patan |
| In office 21 June 1998 – 22 May 2002 | |
| Constituency | Mandal |
| Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha | |
| In office 1994–1998 | |
| Constituency | Gujarat |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1941-11-21)21 November 1941 (age 84) |
| Party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Raj Bhavan, Lucknow |
| Occupation | Politician |
Anandiben Mafatbhai Patel (born 21 November 1941)[1][2] is an Indian politician serving as the 20th and currentgovernor of Uttar Pradesh since 2019. She also served as the 17thgovernor of Madhya Pradesh from 2020 to 2021 and asGovernor of Chhattisgarh from 2018 to 2019. She has served as the first and to date, the only femaleChief Minister ofGujarat. She is also the second femaleGovernor of Uttar Pradesh afterSarojini Naidu and also the longest-serving governor for the state.[3] She is a member of theBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 1987. She was the Cabinet Minister for Education from 2002 to 2007.
She was the cabinet Minister of Road and Building, Revenue, Urban development and Urban Housing, Disaster Management and Capital Projects in theGovernment of Gujarat from 2007 to 2014.[4][5]
On 19 January 2018, she became theGovernor of Madhya Pradesh replacingOm Prakash Kohli who was holding additional charge since September 2016.[6]
Anandiben Patel was born on 21 November 1941, in present-dayKharod village ofVijapur taluka ofMehsana district, Gujarat,[1] where her father, Jethabhai, was a teacher.[7]
She moved to N.M. High School for her high school studies which had only three girl students. She joined college for studying BSc (Bachelor of Science) in 1960. She was awarded "Veer Bala" award in Mehsana for her outstanding achievement in athletics.[8]
Patel worked as the teacher at Mohiniba Kanya Vidyalaya, Ahmedabad in 1967 or 1970, where she taught science and mathematics to higher secondary students. Later, she became the school's principal.[9]
Patel's entry into politics began with an accident during a school picnic in 1987, when she jumped in the Sardar Sarovar reservoir to save two girls who were drowning during a school picnic, for which she received a president's bravery award.[10] On persuasion byKeshubhai Patel andNarendra Modi, she joined BJP as the Gujarat Pradesh Mahila Morcha President in 1987.[11]
In 1992, she participated inEkta Yatra fromKanyakumari toSrinagar with BJP leaderMurli Manohar Joshi.[12]
Patel was elected toRajya Sabha from Gujarat in 1994.[12]
Patel resigned from Rajyasabha in 1998 and contested her first assembly election fromMandal assembly constituency. She won and became the cabinet minister for education under the Chief MinisterKeshubhai Patel.[12]
In her first term as Education Minister, Patel started "Lokdarbar" to address issues related to schools and education. It was under her leadership that the state Government first launched "Shala Praveshotsav" to increase enrolment in schools, which is still the flagship program of the Education department. Her efforts resulted in a 100% increase in enrolment.[9]
Patel contested her second and third assembly elections in 2002 and 2007 fromPatan assembly constituency and was elected. She continued as a cabinet minister for education in her second term and was assigned to Roads & Building and Revenue in her third term.[12]
Patel contested and won fromGhatlodiya constituency in the2012 elections.[12] She won the election with a margin of more than 175,000 votes, the highest in the election.[13] She continued as the cabinet minister of Road and Building, Revenue, Urban Development, and Urban Housing, Disaster Management and Capital Projects.[12]
On 22 May 2014, Patel took oath as the 15th Chief Minister of Gujarat succeedingNarendra Modi, after the latter was elected asPrime Minister of India following the victory of BJP in the2014 Indian general election.[12] Patel was the first female Chief Minister of Gujarat.[14] She expressed her desire to resign on 1 August 2016 as she was turning 75 years old in November 2016. She submitted her resignation to the GovernorO. P. Kohli on 4 August 2016 which was accepted. She continued to hold the office until her successorVijay Rupani took over on 7 August 2016.[15][16]
In January 2018, she became theGovernor of Madhya Pradesh replacingOm Prakash Kohli, who was an additional charge governor.[17] Later in August 2018, she took additional charge as theGovernor of Chhattisgarh due to sudden demise of then governorBalram Das Tandon. On 20 July 2019, she becameGovernor of Uttar Pradesh on end of term ofRam Naik.[18]
On 29 May 1962, Anandiben and Mafatlal Patel married; Mafatlal was 28 years old. After living inMehsana district for four years, the couple moved to Ahmedabad. Mafatlal was a professor of psychology at the Saraspur Art and Commerce College, and Anandiben taught mathematics and science, and later became principal, at Mohiniba Kanya Vidyalaya on Ashram Road, Ahmedabad. They did not legally separate, but they began living apart in 1985.[19] Patel voluntarily retired from teaching after 31 years. The couple have two children, Sanjay and Anar. Sanjay is married to Hina and they have one son, Dharm. Anar is married to Jayesh, and they have one daughter Sanskruti.[20]
The Indian Express has listed her in top 100 most influential people of India for the year 2014.[21]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Chief Minister of Gujarat 22 May 2014 – 7 August 2016 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Om Prakash Kohli Additional Charge | Governor of Madhya Pradesh 23 January 2018 – 28 July 2019 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of Chhattisgarh 15 August 2018 – 28 July 2019 Additional Charge | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of Uttar Pradesh 29 July 2019 – Present | Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Governor of Madhya Pradesh 30 June 2020- 6 July 2021 Additional Charge | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
