Uma Bharti

Uma Bharti

Uma Ragini Bharti (born May 3, 1959), is an Indian politician. She was born in Tikamgarh District, Madhya Pradesh and from a very young age, started holding discourses on Indian Epics.Her father was an atheist. Raised under the care of the late Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia of Gwalior, Uma Bharati, along with Sadhvi Ritambhara, played a prominent part in the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi Movement. Her signature slogan during the movement was "Dear Ram we will come, and build temple at the place".

At a young age, she became involved with the Bharatiya Janata Party. She contested her first Parliamentary elections in 1984, but lost. In 1989, she successfully contested the Khajurao seat, and retained it in elections conducted in 1991, 1996 and 1998. In 1999, she switched over and won the Bhopal seat. In the Vajpayee Administration, she held various state-level and cabinet level portfolios of Human Resource Development, Tourism, Youth Affairs & Sports, and finally Coal & Mines.

In the 2003 Assembly polls, she led the BJP to a three-fourth majority in Madhya Pradesh assembly. She defeated her Congress opponent from the Malehra seat with a 25% margin. She resigned from the post of Chief Minister in August 2004, when an arrest warrant was issued against her regarding the 1994 Hubli riot case.