Snehalata Bipindada Kolhe, is an Indian politician, social worker, and member of the

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's Bharatiya Jana Sangh. Since 2014, ...

. She served as the first female

Member of the Legislative Assembly A Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is a representative elected to sit in a legislative assembly. The term most commonly refers to members of the legislature of a federated state or an autonomous region, but is also used for several nation ...

(MLA) for the Kopargaon constituency in Maharashtra, after winning the 2014 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election. She also held the position of State Secretary for the BJP in Maharashtra. Kolhe hails from a prominent political family, being the daughter-in-law of Shankarrao Genuji Kolhe, a former minister in Maharashtra.

Early life and education

Snehalata Kolhe was born on October 8, 1971. She completed a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in 1998, grounding her in a strong educational foundation. Her marriage into the Kolhe family further connected her with a tradition of leadership and service, particularly through her father-in-law, Shankarrao Genuji Kolhe.

Political career

In 2014, Snehalata Kolhe contested the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election from the Kopargaon constituency and emerged victorious, becoming the first woman to represent Kopargaon as an MLA. She worked to address key regional issues, including healthcare, infrastructure, and education. However, in the 2019 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election, she was defeated by

Ashutosh Ashokrao Kale Ashutosh Ashokrao Kale is a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from the Kopargaon constituency in Maharashtra, India and former chairman of Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi. He is also Chairman of the Karmaveer Shankarrao Ka ...

of the

Nationalist Congress Party The Nationalist Congress Party is one of the List of political parties in India#State parties, state parties in India and is one of the major political parties in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, Maharashtra with a recognised state party statu ...

(NCP). As a former State Secretary of the BJP in Maharashtra, Snehalata Kolhe’s role within the party highlighted her dedication to its mission and her influence in state politics..

Contributions and Social Initiatives

Aside from her legislative work, Snehalata Kolhe is known for her involvement in social initiatives, particularly those focusing on rural development, women’s empowerment, and healthcare. Her commitment to promoting education and economic self-reliance for women has been impactful and widely respected in her constituency.

Legacy

As the first female MLA of Kopargaon and a former State Secretary of the BJP, Snehalata Kolhe’s political career is both pioneering and inspirational. Though she did not win in 2019, her contributions to the Kopargaon constituency and Maharashtra politics have left a lasting impact on her community.

References

Maharashtra MLAs 2014–2019 Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Maharashtra People from Ahmednagar district Living people 1975 births {{Maharashtra-politician-stub