Kiran Walia Biography

About Kiran Walia

Dr Kiran Walia is a senior Indian National Congress (INC) leader and former woman and child development minister.She has been thrice elected to the Legislative Assembly of Delhi in 1999, 2003 and 2008. As a social activist and minister, she has done a lot of work in the areas of women and child development. Earlier, she was professor at the University of Delhi.

The INC fielded Kiran Walia against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal, and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) young leader Nupur Sharma from New Delhi Assembly constituency in the Delhi Assembly elections 2015. The Congress suffered a washout in the elections as none of its candidates could win a seat in the assembly including Kiran Walia. Mrs. Walia could not even achieve the status of the runner-up in the constituency as AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal won the seat with 57,213 votes and BJP's Nupur Sharma emerged as the runner-up to him with 25,630 votes.

Early Life of Kiran Walia

Kiran Walia was born on 28 October 1944 in Delhi to late S. N. Bhasin and late Leela Bhasin. She did M. A. from University of Delhi and attained a Diploma in Research Methodology from the Indian Public Administration Institute (IPAI). She later worked as an Associate Professor at the University of Delhi.

Kiran Walia got married to Sat Prakash Walia on 12 October 1968 and has a son and a daughter with him.

Political Career of Kiran Walia

Kiran Walia joined politics as a student activist during her college days. She dedicated herself to the social causes like women and child development right from the outset. She is a founder member of Swabhima, women's group that raises women's issues. Later she got associated with the Congress. She contested the 1998 Delhi Legislative Assembly Elections from Hauz Khas seat against BJP's Sushma Swaraj. She lost the elections with 22,652 votes as compared to the eventual winner Sushma Swaraj's 25,267 votes.

Subsequently, Kiran Walia was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Delhi in the by-elections held in 1999. She represented Hauz Khas constituency again in 2003, when she was re-elected to the Vidhan Sabha by getting 23,561 votes against the runner-up Arti Mehra of BJP who secured 16,637 votes. In the elections to the fourth Assembly of Delhi in 2008, Kiran Walia was fielded from Malviya Nagar Assembly constituency by the Congress. She again emerged victorious by securing 31,283 votes.

Kiran Walia held various ministerial portfolios in the Sheila Dikshit government.

Before the recent Delhi assembly elections of 2015, the political experts and analysts did not rate Indian National Congress (INC) as a major contender or competitor in the elections held in February. But Congress, the longest ruling party in Delhi, did not lose any hopes. The party banked upon its veteran leader Kiran Walia to contest elections and fielded her against the strongest contender for the Chief Minister's post Arvind Kejriwal, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor. The two locked horns in the New Delhi assembly constituency. The final results saw a complete extinction of Congress from the Delhi assembly, while the AAP registered a resounding victory. Kiran Walia lost badly in her constituency too. Her main rival AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal won the seat for a second consecutive time and was elected the Chief Minister of Delhi again.

Positions Held and Other Activities of Kiran Walia

• All India Congress Committee (I) convenor.
• Vice President, Society for Secularism (Rajiv Gandhi Foundation Memorial Institute).
• Chairperson, Delhi Commission for Women.
• Minister of Health and Family Welfare Department, Women & Child Development and Languages.
• Member, Business Advisory Committee.
• Member, Private Members Bills and Resolutions Committee.
• Vice President, SAF Social Activity as NGO involved in slums environment issue & medical health to poor, Member Executive of PHD Chamber of Commerce.


Last Updated on June 25, 2020