Hopeful of getting a nomination for the upcoming assembly elections, Jyoti Girigosavi reverted to her maiden name Jyoti Eknath Gaikwad, in July this year. Such is the goodwill earned by her father Eknath Gaikwad during his lifetime that his daughters are banking on his legacy to pursue a career in politics. While one daughter, Varsha and is a former minister and currently a Member of Parliament from the Mumbai North West constituency, the other daughter Jyoti is an aspiring politician.
For the Congress party, Gaikwad was a prominent Dalit leader who represented Dharavi in the Maharashtra legislative assembly and in Parliament twice. Hailing from Satara, Gaikwad first contested the elections from Dharavi in 1985 and was subsequently re-elected from there twice. He also held the minister of state portfolios for public health, social justice and higher and technical education during his tenure in the government. Gaikwad’s biggest draw was his accessibility to the people of his constituency. He championed the cause of Dalits and other oppressed sections of society, maintaining a constant presence in Dharavi which has the title of being Asia’s largest slum. He worked to improve sanitation and infrastructure facilities and was the voice of his people in the corridors of power.
In 2004, he defeated former chief minister Manohar Joshi in the Lok Sabha elections. At that time, Joshi was the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha. He won the election again in 2009 and was the constituency’s representative in Parliament till 2014. At the age of 81 years, Gaikwad succumbed to Covid, in the year 2021. A low-profile politician, Gaikwad was never involved in any controversy and was believed to be a sincere and loyal Congressman.
His daughter Varsha succeeded him in the state assembly when she won her first election from Dharavi in 2004. A former lecturer at Mumbai’s Siddharth College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Varsha is a four-term legislator and was the cabinet minister for school education between 2019 and 2022. The newest member of the family to enter politics is Varsha’s sister Jyoti who is contesting the Vidhan Sabha elections this time. While she may not have extensive experience in public life, she is banking on her father’s legacy and goodwill and her sister’s reach among the electorate.
Comments