Rajani Ashokrao Patil (born 5 December 1958) is an Indian politician from the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...

Party, she is the All India Congress Committee In-charge for Jammu & Kashmir. She is a Member of Parliament, representing

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

in the

Rajya Sabha Rajya Sabha (Council of States) is the upper house of the Parliament of India and functions as the institutional representation of India’s federal units — the states and union territories.https://rajyasabha.nic.in/ It is a key component o ...

the

upper house An upper house is one of two Legislative chamber, chambers of a bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house. The house formally designated as the upper house is usually smaller and often has more restricted p ...

Indian Parliament The Parliament of India (ISO: ) is the supreme legislative body of the Government of the Republic of India. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of the People). The President o ...

. She was awarded the Best debut Parliamentarian award for her performance in the Rajya Sabha. She was earlier elected to 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 ...

from

Beed Beed (Marathi pronunciation: iːɖ is a city and headquarters of eponymous Beed district of Maharashtra state in India. History Beed is a historical city of possibly medieval origin. Its early history is obscure. Historians speculate, base ...

in the 11th Lok Sabha. In 2005, she was elected as the Chairperson of the Central Social Welfare Board. She represented India at the 49th session of the UN Commission on the status of women at the UN headquarters in New York. She was a student political leader in college in the National Students Union of India (NSUI). She started her career in electoral politics by getting elected to the Zilla Parishad unopposed in 1992.

Early life and education

Rajani Ashokrao Patil was born on December 5, 1958, in

, India. She grew up with a deep interest in

politics Politics () is the set of activities that are associated with decision-making, making decisions in social group, groups, or other forms of power (social and political), power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of Social sta ...

and

social issue A social issue is a problem that affects many people within a society. It is a group of common problems in present-day society that many people strive to solve. It is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual's control. Soc ...

s, particularly

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...

. She was an active member of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) during her college years, which laid the foundation for her future political career.

Political career

Rajani Patil is a senior member of the

(INC) party. Her political journey began in the 1990s when she was elected to the

11th Lok Sabha The 11th Lok Sabha was constituted after April–May 1996 general elections. The result of the election was a hung parliament, which would see three Prime Ministers in two years and force the country back to the polls in 1998. Atal Bihari Vajpa ...

(1991–1996) from the Beed constituency in Maharashtra. She continued her political journey by becoming a member of the

, the upper house of the Indian Parliament. Over the years, Patil has been a key figure in the INC, particularly in her advocacy for women's rights and social justice. She was awarded the Best Debut Parliamentarian award for her early work in the Rajya Sabha.

Public service and leadership roles

Rajani Patil has held several prominent leadership positions. Notably, she served as the Chairperson of the Central Social Welfare Board in 2005, where she worked to advance women's welfare programs. Additionally, she represented India at the United Nations 49th session on the Status of Women, reflecting her influence on national and global platforms regarding gender equality. Her work as a leader also extended to the Congress party, where she was appointed In-charge for Jammu & Kashmir. She has consistently advocated for social welfare, and her contributions have made her an influential figure in Indian politics.

Controversies and suspension

In February 2023, Rajani Patil was suspended from the Rajya Sabha for allegedly violating procedural rules. It was reported that she had recorded and shared footage of House proceedings on social media, which is against the Rajya Sabha's norms. However, after an inquiry and a recommendation from the Committee of Privileges, her suspension was revoked in August 2023.

Legacy and influence

Rajani Patil's legacy in

Indian politics The Politics and Government of India works within the framework of the country's Constitution, which was adopted in 1950. India is a parliamentary secular democratic republic, described as a “sovereign, socialist, secular democratic republ ...

is marked by her active participation in issues concerning women's empowerment, her leadership in the Congress party, and her service to her Kaij constituency. Her efforts to address social inequalities and contribute to national policymaking continue to influence Indian politics.

References

External links

Rajani Patil Rajya Sabha Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Patil, Rajni Ashokrao 1958 births Living people Patil Rajni Lok Sabha members from Maharashtra India MPs 1996–1997 Women in Maharashtra politics Marathi politicians Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Maharashtra 20th-century Indian women politicians Women members of the Rajya Sabha