List of Women Chief Ministers in Indian History, Know Names, States and Working Period

India has had many strong female Chief Ministers who have led different states. They have worked for development, women’s empowerment, education and public welfare. Their leadership has brought positive changes in various fields like transport, healthcare and rural growth. These women have shown that leadership is not limited by gender and continue to inspire future generations with their vision and hard work.

Women in Indian Politics

The rise of women as Chief Minister shows progress toward gender equality in India. Women like Rekha Gupta, Mamata Banerjee and Mayawati have broken barriers and created opportunities for others. Their leadership inspires more women to join politics and bring positive change.

Delhi’s New Woman Chief Minister

Rekha Gupta was born in 1974 in Jind, Haryana. She has been of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for a long time. Her political career started in student politics when she became the president of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) in 1996-97.

Gupta became a councillor in 2007 from North Pitampura and later represented Shalimar Bagh. She focused on improving education, healthcare and community development.

After a long journey in politics, Rekha Gupta became the Chief Minister of Delhi on February 20, 2025. She is the fourth woman to hold this position in Delhi. Her victory came after the BJP returned to power in Delhi after 27 years.

India’s First Woman Chief Minister

In October 1963, Sucheta Kriplani created history by becoming the first woman Chief Minister of India, leading Uttar Pradesh. She was known for her strong leadership and firm decision-making. During her tenure, a 62-day long state employees’ strike took place, demanding a pay hike. However, she stood her ground and refused to give in, proving her determination and courage. Her leadership set an example for future women in Indian politics.

List of Women Chief Ministers in Indian History

India has had many women Chief Ministers who played important roles in politics. Leaders like Sucheta Kriplani, Jayalalithaa, Mayawati and Mamata Banerjee have shaped their states. Rekha Gupta’s recent appointments adds to this inspiring list of women leaders.

Here is the list of women Chief Ministers in India history:

Name	State	Tenure
		From	To
Sucheta Kriplani	Uttar Pradesh	October 2, 1963	March 14, 1967
Nandini Satpathy	Odisha	March 14, 1973	September 1, 1977
Shashikala Kakodkar	Goa	August 1973	April 1979
Anwara Taimur	Assam	December 1980	June 1981
Vaikom Narayani Janaki Ramachandran	Tamil Nadu	January 7, 1988	January 30, 1988
J. Jayalalithaa	Tamil Nadu	May 14, 1991	May 15, 1996
		May 2001	September 20, 2001
		May 23, 2015	December 5, 2016
Mayawati	Uttar Pradesh	June 3, 1995	October 18, 1995
		May 2007	March 15, 2021
Rajinder Kaur Bhattal	Punjab	February 1997	May 1997
Rabri Devi	Bihar	July 1997	February 1999
Sushma Swaraj	Delhi	October 1998	February 1999
Sheila Dikshit	Delhi	December 1998	December 2013
Uma Bharti	Madhya Pradesh	November 2003	August 2004
Vasundhara Raje	Rajasthan	December 2003	December 2008
		December 2013	January 2018
Anandiben Patel	Gujarat	May 2014	August 2016
Mehbooba Mufti	Jammu and Kashmir	April 4, 2016	June 19, 2018
Mamata Banerjee	West Bengal	May 20, 2011	Present
Atishi	Delhi	February	February 2025 (Interim)
Rekha Gupta	Delhi	February 20, 2025	Present