Sonia Gandhi, President Indian National Congress
As president of the Indian National Congress, Gandhi heads the ruling political party of the world's second largest population. Though she was ushered into politics by a game of fate, her decision to relinquish the PM's post in favour of Manmohan Singh not just earned her respect but also catapulted her to the position of the 'real ruler'. She is among the ten most powerful women in the world.
Partibha Patil, Former President of India
Pratibha Patil, India's first woman President has shown what heights women can scale in this country, only if they dream and work for it.
Sheila Dixit, Governor of Kerala
The fact that Sheila Dixit has served as Delhi's Chief Minister since 1998 speaks volumes about her clout in Indian politics. She has been handling the barbs of the opposition and discord within her party with amazing dexterity. Although under scanner for being unable to control crime in the capital, Dixit's contribution in making Delhi metro a reality and controlling pollution by making CNG the norm for heavy vehicles, cannot be forgotten. She is appointed as the 22nd Governor of Kerala since 2014.
Mamta Banerjee, Chief Ministerr of West Bengal
The Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee has proved that patience pays ultimately. As the first woman Chief Minister of West Bengal, one of her first decisions was to return 400 acres of land to Singur farmers. She has also been credited to solving the longstanding "Gorkhaland Problem" by setting up the Gorkhaland Autonomous Council. She has also served as the first and only woman Railways Minister at the centre. She has been listed among ‘100 most Influencing persons in the world’ by Time magazine.
Vasundhara Raje, Chief Minister of Rajasthan
Everything was handed to Vasundhara Raje on a platter by virtue of being born in a royal family. But with her social and political works she proved that she was a royal with a lot of insight. She became the first woman CM of a feudal Rajasthan.
Meira Kumar, First Women Speaker of Lok Sabha
A former lawyer and foreign diplomat, Meira Kumar has held various positions in the Indian government over the years. In 2009, she was elected unopposed as the first woman speaker of the Lok Sabha.
Jayalalitha, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
Jayalalitha is not just the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and the general secretary of the AIADMK, but a symbol of woman power in South India. She started her career as an actress ( as persuaded by her actress mother) of Tamil and Telugu films and achieved much popularity and recognition. But politics was just the right field which she entered by joining AIADMK in 1982.. She rose to the highest position after Ramachandran’s death and later became the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. Since then she has worked relentlessly for women empowerment and welfare of masses of Tamil Nadu. Her strong decision making has made her a leader with absolute power and a role model to people not just in Tamil Nadu but over the entire country.