Delhi's longest-serving CM: Here's a look back at Congress leader Sheila Dikshit's political career

Senior Congress leader Sheila Dikshit and the former Delhi Chief Minister passed away on Saturday, July 20, at the age of 81 years due to a cardiac arrest at the Escorts Fortis Hospital

The veteran politician, apart from her contributions to transforming the face of Delhi, will be remembered as the longest-serving woman Chief Minister of Delhi who served the national capital for 15 years from 1998 to 2013. 

Here's a look back at Sheila Dikshit's decorated political journey:

Dikshit stepped her foot in politics back in 1984, where she fought and won from Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj parliamentary constituency until 1989. She then led her party to victory in the Delhi Assembly Elections of 1998, as the president of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee. 

She was elected to the Second Delhi Legislative Assembly in 1998 and was Chief Minister of Delhi. She was also elected to the third Assembly in 2003 and on December 2008, after winning the Delhi state elections for the third consecutive time, she became the longest-serving woman chief minister of India. 

READ| PM Modi Remembers Former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit's 'warm And Affectionate' Nature, Expresses Condolences At Her Sudden Demise

The former chief minister of Delhi handled two portfolios as the Union Minister in the Rajiv Gandhi government from 1986 to 1986, as the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs first and then as the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office. 

Dikshit was also a Member of the Lok Sabha's Estimates Committee in 1984 and had chaired the Implementation Committee formed to commemorate 40 years of Indian Independence and the centenary of Jawaharlal Nehru.

Apart from serving the national capital, she also represented India at the United Nations Commission on Status of Women for five years, at the same time when she represented Kannauj, from 1984 to 1989. 

Sheila Dikshit has even served as the Governor of Kerala from March 2014 to August 2014. 

Her political era came saw its end after Dikshit was defeated by Aam Aadmi Party in 2013, wherein she lost her New Delhi legislative assembly seat to Arvind Kejriwal. 

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi appointed her as the President of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee in January 2019.

READ| Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti Express Condolences On Sudden Demise Of Former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit