Sumati Suklikar (24 December 1923 - 22 February 2011),was an Indian politician. She was a leader of Bharatiya Janata Party and its precursor Bharatiya Jana Sangh, and was from Nagpur, Maharashtra. [1] She contested elections for Maharashtra Legislative Assembly four times in 1960s and 1970s. [2] She died on 22 February 2011 due to old age. [3]
The first time she contested an assembly election, in 1962, from Nagpur West, she stood fourth. Gradually, her party's popularity increased and she came second the next 3 times, but she could never win the seat. After losing in 1978, she retired from electoral politics, but remained an active worker with BJP.
She had a brother-like relation with the veteran Communist Party of India leader A. B. Bardhan from Nagpur. Although they contested elections against each other. Sumatitai was like an elder sister to Bardhan. [4] In 2018, Maharashtra state government launched a scheme named 'Sumatibai Suklikar Yojana' in Sumati-bai's memory to effect social upliftment of women in rural parts of the state. [5]
Alankar Talkies Chowk, Ambazari Road, Nagpur, Maharashtra was renamed after her as "Lokmata Sumatitai Suklikar Chowk" and a copper mural was installed there as a tribute to her social and political work. It was inaugurated by the then" Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari" on 18 June 2023.