Varsha Gaikwad

• Eknath Gaikwad (father)

Varsha Eknath Gaikwad
Varsha Gaikwad (L) and Krishna Tirath (R) in New Delhi
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 June 2024
Education	M.Sc (Maths), B.Ed
Occupation	Politician
Profession	Professor

Varsha Eknath Gaikwad (born 3 February 1975) is an Indian politician serving as a member of parliament, Lok Sabha. She is the President of the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee. Earlier, she was a four term Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (MLA) represented the Dharavi Assembly Constituency in Mumbai (2004-2024). ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} She served as the Cabinet Minister of Maharashtra from 30 December 2019 to 29 June 2022.

Gaikwad won the Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. She defeated BJP candidate Adv. Ujjwal Nikam. ^[5] She is one of the three Buddhist MPs in the 18th Lok Sabha. ^[6]

Gaikwad was one of the key protestors during the 2026 Budget Session proceedings of the Lok Sabha, where Opposition members entered the vale of the House and displayed placards and surrounded the front benches, including the Prime Minister’s seat, resulting in a adjournment. ^[7]

Positions held

• 2004 – 2009: Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (1st term)
• 2009 – 2014: Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (2nd term)
  • 2009 - 2010: State Minister for Medical Education, Higher and Technical Education, Tourism, Special Assistance
  • 2010 – 2014: Cabinet Minister for Women and Child Development, Government of Maharashtra ^{[8] [9]}
• 2014 – 2019: Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (3rd term)
• 2019 – 2024: Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (4th term) ^[10]
  • Cabinet Minister for School Education Department, Government of Maharashtra
• 2024 – current: Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha ^{[11] [12]}

Personal life

Varsha Gaikwad's father is Eknath Gaikwad, who was a three term Member of parliament. She belongs to an Ambedkarite Buddhist family. ^{[13] [14] [15] [16]} She was lecturer in Siddharth College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Mumbai. ^[17]

References

1. "मोठी बातमी! काँग्रेसच्या तिसऱ्या आमदाराचा राजीनामा; अधिवेशनापूर्वीच विधानसभेतील संख्याबळ घटलं" [Big news! Resignation of the third Congress MLA; strength in the Legislative Assembly decreased before the session]. ABP Marathi (in Marathi). Mumbai . Retrieved 8 September 2024.
2. "Dharavi Maharashtra Assembly Constituency Elections" . Retrieved 15 April 2016.
3. "Gaikwad Varsha Eknath of INC WINS the Dharavi constituency Maharastra Assembly Election 2014". newsreporter.in. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
4. "Varsha Gaikwad tipped to be Mumbai Congress women's wing chief". mid-day.com. 30 March 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
5. Mhamunkar, Kalpesh (25 April 2024). "Maharashtra Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Congress Nominates Varsha Gaikwad For North Central Mumbai Seat Amid Controversy". The Free Press Journal.
6. Hiwale, Sandesh (2 July 2024). "Buddhist MPs in 18th Lok Sabha (2024-2029)". Dhamma Bharat.
7. "Opposition MPs protest in Lok Sabha during Budget Session, House adjourned amid disruptions". The Hindu. March 2026. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
8. "Minister for Women and Child Development". indianexpress.com. 23 September 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
9. "minister for women and child welfare Varsha Gaikwad said Sunday. The minister said the owner of the pizza outlet must be prosecuted for employing a minor and letting him drive a motorcycle without a driving licence". indianexpress.com. July 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
10. Galande, Mahesh M (18 June 2024). "मुंबईतील धारावी मतदारसंघाच्या काँग्रेस पक्षाच्या आमदार व माजी शालेय शिक्षण मंत्री वर्षा गायकवाड यांनी आज आपल्या आमदारपदाचा राजीनामा विधानसभा अध्यक्ष ऍड. राहुल नार्वेकर यांच्याकडे सुपूर्द केला" [Congress MLA from Dharavi constituency in Mumbai and former School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad today submitted his resignation from the post of MLA to Legislative Assembly Speaker Adv. Rahul Narvekar.].
11. "2024 Loksabha Elections Results - Mumbai North Central". Election Commission of India. 4 June 2024. Archived from the original on 14 July 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
12. "Mumbai North Central Constituency Lok Sabha Election Results 2014 - 2024". The Times of India. 4 June 2024. Archived from the original on 14 July 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
13. "उद्धव ठाकरे सरकारच्या ४३ सदस्यीय मंत्रिमंडळात २३ मंत्री मराठा समाजाचे" [23 ministers from the Maratha community in the 43-member cabinet of Uddhav Thackeray government]. divyamarathi.bhaskar.com. 2020.
14. "39-year-old Varsha Gaikwad, the Congress candidate here". indianexpress.com. 7 October 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
15. "जानिए- कौन हैं उद्धव कैबिनेट में शामिल हुईं तीन ताकतवर महिलाएं". 31 December 2019.
16. "फडणवीस गेले, अजित पवार मात्र पुन्हा आले! उपमुख्यमंत्र्यासह २५ कॅबिनेट,१० राज्यमंत्र्यांना शपथ" [Fadnavis is gone, but Ajit Pawar is back! 25 cabinet members including Deputy Chief Minister, 10 ministers of state take oath]. divyamarathi.bhaskar.com (in Marathi). 2020.
17. DHNS. "Lok Sabha polls 2024 | Face-off: Ujjwal Nikam vs Varsha Gaikwad". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 8 September 2024.