Gujarat Revenue Minister Anandiben Patel, who is considered as a disciplinarian and hard taskmaster, will succeed Narendra Modi as the new Chief Minister of Gujarat. She will be sworn in as Gujarat's first woman chief minister.
Former school teacher Anandiben made her political debut as a nominated member to the Rajya Sabha in 1994. She represented the country at the Fourth World women's Conference at Beijing.
She contested her first assembly election in 1998 from Mandal, and went on to become the minister for education in the Keshubhai Patel ministry. She won from Patan in 2002, 2007 and 2012, and handled the key portfolios of roads and buildings and revenue in the Modi government.
Known for her clean image, she is the longest serving BJP minister who joined the party in late 80s and rose steadily through the ranks.
Patel holds the key portfolios of urban development, revenue and disaster management and was earlier in charge of education ministry, driving successfully some of the key projects, including boosting of female literacy.
Patel got the state government's gallantry award in 1987 after she jumped into the Narmada dam to save two girls from drowning. The girls had gone there as part of a picnic team from her school, Mohniba Vidyalaya in Ahmedabad, where Patel had joined as a primary school teacher in 1968 and stayed for 30 years. Her bravery earned Patel instant fame, and she was soon persuaded to join the BJP.
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