Ahilya Rangnekar (8 July 1922 – 19 April 2009) was an Indian politician, a leader of the

Communist Party of India (Marxist) The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (abbreviated as CPI(M)) is a Communism in India, communist List of political parties in India, political party in India. It is the largest communist party in India in terms of membership and electora ...

, and, from 1977 to 1980, the Mumbai North Central representative in the

Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, also known as the House of the People, is the lower house of Parliament of India which is Bicameralism, bicameral, where the upper house is Rajya Sabha. Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by a ...

parliament.

Early life

Rangnekar was born in

Pune Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...

. She was the youngest among eight children. B.T. Ranadive was her elder brother.

Political career

Ahilya Rangnekar joined the

Communist Party of India The Communist Party of India (CPI) is a political party in India. The CPI considers the Foundation of the Communist Party of India, December 26, 1925 Cawnpore (Kanpur) conference as its foundation date. Between 1946 and 1951, the CPI led m ...

in 1943. She participated in the Samyukta Maharashtra movement. She was one of the founders of "Parel Mahila Sangh" in 1943, which later became "Janwadi Mahila Sangh", the Maharashtra state unit of the

All India Democratic Women's Association All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) is a women's organisation committed to achieving democracy, equality and Women's rights, women's emancipation. It has an organisational presence in 23 states in India, with a current membership o ...

. Rangnekar later became the national working president of the AIDWA and in 2001, she became its patron. She was elected corporator of the

Bombay Municipal Corporation The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), or the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) is the governing civic body of Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra. Salman Khan Is Now Brand Ambassador of BMC from 2016. The BMC is India ...

for 19 years from 1961. She was the secretary of the Maharashtra state unit of the

CPI (M) The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (abbreviated as CPI(M)) is a Communism in India, communist List of political parties in India, political party in India. It is the largest communist party in India in terms of membership and electora ...

from 1983 to 1986. She was the member of its central committee from 1978 to 2005. In 1975, she was elected to the general council of the

Centre of Indian Trade Unions The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) is a national level trade union in India. It is associated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist). It has presence mostly in the Indian state of Tripura, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnatak ...

and in 1979, she became its vice president.

Personal life

Ahilya married P.B. Rangnekar in 1945. They had two sons, Ajit and Abhay.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rangnekar, Ahilya Communist Party of India (Marxist) politicians from Maharashtra 1922 births 2009 deaths Marathi politicians India MPs 1977–1979 Lok Sabha members from Maharashtra Women in Maharashtra politics 20th-century Indian women politicians Politicians from Mumbai