List of female leader of the opposition in India

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Map representing the number of female leaders of the opposition in different states and union territories of India Female leader of the opposition in Indian State assemblies.png
Map representing the number of female leaders of the opposition in different states and union territories of India

The Leader of the Opposition is the politician who leads the official opposition in the State legislative assemblies of India and State legislative councils of India. Official Opposition [1] is a term used in legislative Assemblies to designate the political party which has secured the second largest number of seat assembly. In order to get formal recognition, the party must have at least 10% of the total membership of the Legislative Assembly. A single party has to meet the 10% seat criterion, not an alliance. Many of the Indian state legislatures also follow this 10% rule, while the rest of them prefer the single largest opposition party according to the rules of their respective houses.

Contents

As of December 2024, 10 women have served as leaders of the opposition in 8 out of 28 state assemblies, while only two women have served in two of the seven legislative councils. Three union territory assemblies never had the female leaders of the opposition. The first female leader of the opposition was Prabha Rau of Maharashtra when she became leader of the opposition in the legislative assembly in February 1979. Motamma is the first female leader of the opposition in the state legislative council. Jamuna Devi was the longest-serving leader of the opposition, followed by Rajinder Kaur Bhattal. Maharashtra and Punjab are the only two states that had two female leaders of the opposition. Rabri Devi is the only female leader who served as the leader of the opposition in both the legislative assembly and legislative council of her respective state Bihar. Jamuna Devi and Indira Hridayesh are the only two who died in the office.

Rabri Devi is the only incumbent female leader of the opposition in Bihar Legislative Council. No incumbent female leader of the opposition in state legislative assembly. [2]

Chronological list (Legislative Assembly)

Key
  AIADMK (1)   BJP (1)   INC (7)   RJD (1)
No.PortraitName

(Birth–Death)

Term of officeState/Union territoryPolitical partyGovernmentRef
Assumed officeLeft officeTime in officeChief MinisterParty
1 Prabha Rau.jpg Prabha Rau
(1935-2010)
? February 197913 July 1979~5-6 months Maharashtra Indian National Congress Sharad Pawar Indian Congress (Socialist) [3]
2 The President of India, Smt. Pratibha Patil.jpg Pratibha Patil
(b. 1934)
16 July 197917 February 1980216 days [4]
3 No image available.svg Gurbinder Kaur Brar
(1922-2013)
29 September 198511 May 19871 year, 224 days Punjab Surjit Singh Barnala Shiromani Akali Dal [5]
4 No image available.svg K. S. Nagarathanamma
(1923-1993)
29 January 198721 April 19892 years, 85 days Karnataka Ramakrishna Hegde & S. R. Bommai Janata Party [6]
5 J Jayalalithaa.jpg J. Jayalalithaa
(1948–2016)
9 February 19891 December 1989 [RES] 5 years, 280 days Tamil Nadu All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam M. Karunanidhi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam [7]
29 May 200614 May 2011
6 Rajinder Kaur Bhattal.jpg Rajinder Kaur Bhattal
(b. 1945)
12 February 199710 October 1998 [RES] 6 years, 253 days Punjab Indian National Congress Prakash Singh Badal Shiromani Akali Dal [8]
1 March 200714 March 2012 [9]
7 No image available.svg Jamuna Devi
(1929-2010)
16 December 200311 December 20086 years, 259 days Madhya Pradesh Uma Bharti, Babulal Gaur & Shivraj Singh Chauhan Bharatiya Janata Party [10]
7 January 200924 September 2010 [†] Shivraj Singh Chauhan
8 Rabri Devi presenting a cheque for Rs. 10 crore on behalf of the State Government to the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh for the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund, in New Delhi on January 04, 2005 (cropped).jpg Rabri Devi
(b. 1959)
30 November 200524 November 20104 years, 359 days Bihar Rashtriya Janata Dal Nitish Kumar Janata Dal (United) [11]
9 Rajasthan CM - Vasundhara Raje (cropped).jpg Vasundhra Raje
(b. 1953)
2 January 200920 February 20134 years, 49 days Rajasthan Bhartiya Janata Party Ashok Gehlot Indian National Congress [12]
10 Indira Hridayesh LOP Uttarakhand Assembly.jpg Indira Hridayesh
(1941-2021)
27 March 201713 June 2021 [†] 4 years, 78 days Uttrakhand Indian National Congress Trivendra Singh Rawat & Tirath Singh Rawat Bhartiya Janata Party [13]

Chronological list (Legislative Council)

Map shows the number of the female leader of the opposition in Indian States legislative councils. Female leader of the opposition in Indian State councils.png
Map shows the number of the female leader of the opposition in Indian States legislative councils.
Key
  INC (1)   RJD (1)
No.PortraitName

(Birth–Death)

Term of officeState/Union territoryPolitical partyChief MinisterRef
Assumed officeLeft officeTime in office
1 Motamma.png Motamma
(b. 1951)
1 September 201017 June 20121 year, 290 days Karnataka Indian National Congress B. S. Yediyurappa & Sadananda Gowda [14]
2 Rabri Devi presenting a cheque for Rs. 10 crore on behalf of the State Government to the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh for the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund, in New Delhi on January 04, 2005 (cropped).jpg Rabri Devi*
(b. 1959)
12 May 201823 June 20202 years, 42 days Bihar Rashtriya Janata Dal Nitish Kumar [15]
11 April 20229 August 2022120 days
16 February 2024Incumbent340 days

See also

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References

  1. "Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977". Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Government of India. Archived from the original on 16 January 2010. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
  2. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/bihar-ex-cm-and-rjd-leader-rabri-devi-appointed-leader-of-opposition-in-state-legislative-council/articleshow/111883715.cms
  3. Lok Sabha Members Prabha Rau Profile Archived 3 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Lok Sabha
  4. Ritu Singh (2007). President Pratibha Patil: India's First Woman President. Rajpal & Sons. p. 52. ISBN   978-81-7028-705-6.
  5. "Ex-CM Brar's wife dies at 85". The Tribune . Chandigarh. 7 September 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  6. "KS Nagarthnama the first woman speaker of Karnataka assembly".
  7. "PURATCHI THALAIVI JAYALALITHAA". The Times of India. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  8. "Bhattal questions her removal", The Indian Express , 28 November 1998, retrieved 11 July 2011
  9. "Bhattal elected leader of CLP", The Hindu , 12 March 2007, retrieved 11 July 2011
  10. MP Leader of Oppn Jamuna Devi dies at 80
  11. "Profile on Rajasthan Assembly website". Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Secretariat, Jaipur (Rajasthan) India. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
  12. "Indira Hridayesh will be Opposition leader in Uttarakhand Assembly". The Economic Times. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  13. "Motamma may step down as leader of opposition in Karnataka, SR Patil to take over | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis". dna. 5 March 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2017.