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Writer's pictureAshutosh Pandey

First Woman Chief Minister: Sucheta Kripalani


On June 25, 1908, Sucheta Kriplani was born in Ambala, Haryana, India. S.N. Majumdar, the father of Sucheta Kriplani, was a nationalist despite working as a doctor for the British government. After attending Indraprastha and St. Stephen's College of Delhi University, Sucheta Kriplani began working as a lecturer at Banaras Hindu University.

In the year 1936, she was married to Acharya Jivatram Bhagwandas Kripalani. After marriage, Sucheta Kripalani got actively involved in the freedom struggle.


Sucheta Kriplani’s participation in freedom struggle

Sucheta Kriplani joined the liberation fight during the Quit India Movement, just like modern women like Aruna Asif Ali and Usha Mehta. When India was being divided, Sucheta Kriplani collaborated closely with Mahatma Gandhi during the riots that took place. One of the women appointed to the Indian Constitution Committee was Sucheta Kriplani.


Sucheta Kripalani’s role in independent India

Sucheta Kriplani was actively involved in north Indian politics following India's independence. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1952, and in 1957 she was granted the ministry of small-scale industries as well as election to the New Delhi Legislative Assembly. She was chosen from Kanpur to serve in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 1962. She created history by becoming the nation's first female chief minister when she was appointed chief minister of Uttar Pradesh in 1963.



She was an excellent parliamentarian who talked clearly throughout the Lok Sabha discussions. The local politics of Uttar Pradesh, where the Congress was split into two factions, one led by Kamalapati Tripathi and the other by C.B. Gupta for various reasons, were where she drew the woman, though. Because of their ability to resist, C.B. Gupta was able to persuade Sucheta to leave Delhi and accept the chief minister ship of Uttar Pradesh even though she had already lost the election. She did a great job in her tenure as Chief Minister. She demonstrated that she was a skilled politician as well as a very well-organized administrator.


She worked hard and was incredibly intelligent. She also had a lot of conscientious habits and was well-read. She was also a person of honesty and integrity. She is still regarded by veterans as Uttar Pradesh's best chief minister as a result. Her way of living was likewise very straightforward and highly implausible for a CM.



She won the Gonda assembly district's 14th Lok Sabha election in 1967. In 1971, she gave up her political career. Factory employees had gone on strike to demand higher pay during Sucheta Kriplani's time as chief minister. There were 62 days throughout the strike. Although Sucheta Kriplani was the wife of a socialist politician and rashtra sevak, she rejected the demands of the proletariat. She convinced the workers to work for the same pay to uphold her administrative officer duties. In her final moments, Sucheta Kriplani spent time alone and away from politics. She passed away in 1974.


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