Renuka Chowdhury

Renuka Chowdhury (born 13 August 1954) is an Indian politician and a member of the Indian National Congress, she represented the political party in the Rajya Sabha from Andhra Pradesh. She has also served as the Union minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ministry of Women and Child Development and Tourism in the Government of India.

Renuka Chowdhury
Renuka Chowdhury during a media press meet in New Delhi in December 2007.
Member of the Rajya Sabha for Andhra Pradesh
In office
3 April 2012 – 2 April 2018
Succeeded byKanakamedala Ravindra Kumar, TDP
In office
3 April 1986 – 2 April 1998
Minister of State (Independent Charge) in Women and Child Development
In office
29 January 2006 – 22 May 2009
Prime MinisterManmohan Singh
Succeeded byKrishna Tirath
Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism
In office
23 May 2004 – 28 January 2006
Prime MinisterManmohan Singh
Preceded byJagmohan
Succeeded byAmbika Soni
Member of Parliament from
Khammam
In office
10 October 1999 – 18 May 2009
Preceded byNadendla Bhaskar Rao
Succeeded byNama Nageswara Rao
Minister of State for the Health and Family Welfare
In office
1997–1998
Personal details
Born (1954-08-13) 13 August 1954
Visakhapatnam, Andhra State, India
Political partyIndian National Congress
(1998–present)
Other political
affiliations		Telugu Desam Party
(1984–1998)
SpouseSreedhar Chowdhury
Children2
Alma materKarnatak University
OccupationPolitician, social Worker

Early life

Born to Air Commodore Suryanarayana Rao and Vasundhara (Born in Madanapalle) on 13 August 1954 in Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).[1] Renuka is the eldest of three daughters. She studied at the Welham Girls' School, Dehradun and received her B.A. in Industrial Psychology from Bangalore University.[2] Renuka was married to Sreedhar Chowdhury in 1973.[1]

Career
Renuka Chowdhury in her office as Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism in New Delhi on May 24, 2004

Chowdhury entered politics in 1984 as a member of Telugu Desam Party.[3] She was a member of the Rajya Sabha for two consecutive terms and Chief Whip of Telugu Desam Parliamentary party from 1986 to 1998.[4][5] She was also the Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare from 1997 to 1998 in the cabinet of H. D. Deve Gowda. She left Telugu Desam Party to join Congress party in 1998.[6] In 1999 and 2004, she was elected to the 13th and 14th Lok Sabha respectively representing Khammam. Other positions include memberships on the Committee on Finance (1999–2000) and Committee on the Empowerment of Women (2000–2001).[1]

In May 2004 she became the Minister of State for Tourism in the UPA I government. She was the Union minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ministry of Women and Child Development in the UPA I government from January 2006 to May 2009. In the May 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Renuka Chowdary was defeated by Nama Nageswara Rao of TDP from Khammam by 1,24,448 votes.[7] The Mumbai newspaper, Mid Day, reported in 2009 that, in response to "Sri Ram Sena's Valentine's Day threat" Chowdary said that youth should "swarm" pubs and make a point to the "moral police brigade".[8] After the 2009 Mangalore pub attack by the Sri Ram Sena Chouwdary commented that Mangalore had been "talibanized". This resulted in a case being filed against her by the town's mayor, accusing her of glorifying isolated incidents and making generalized comments about the city.[9][10] The "Pub Bharo" campaign was actually being headed by her younger daughter Tejaswini.[11]

Chowdary became a spokesperson for the Congress and was re-elected to Rajya Sabha in 2012.[12]

Parliamentary Committees
  • Member, Committee on Finance (1999-2000)
  • Member, Committee on the Empowerment of Women (2000-2001)
  • Member, Committee on Government Assurances (May 2012 – Sept. 2014)
  • Member, Committee on Finance (May 2012 – May 2014)
  • Member, Business Advisory Committee (May 2013 – Sept. 2014)
  • Member, Committee on Agriculture (Sept. 2014–Present)
  • Member, House Committee (Sept. 2014–Present)
  • Member, General Purposes Committee (April 2016 – Present)
  • Chairperson, Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests (April 2016 – 2018)

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Renuka Chowdhury.
  1. "Members Bioprofile". Lok Sabha. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  2. Sharanya (17 June 2022). "Congress Leader Renuka Chowdhury Booked by Police: What Went Down?". She the People. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  3. Phadnis, Aditi (12 February 2018). "Renuka Chowdhury, 'Rajini of Rajya Sabha' unlikely to make a return". Business Standard. Business Standard. Business Standard Private Limited. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  4. "Untitled - Rajya Sabha" (PDF). Rajya Sabha. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  5. "Political Complexion of Rajya Sabha" (PDF). Rajya Sabha. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  6. Ghosh, Barun (11 April 1999). "RENUKA RUSH TO OPEN MAMATA FLANK IN ANDHRA PRADESH". The Telegraph (Kolkata). ABP Group. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  7. Election Commission of India, General Elections, 2009 (15th LOK SABHA)
  8. (June 2009)After jail bharo, it's pub bharo Mid Day, retrieved 30 March 2012
  9. (17 February 2009)Mangalore Mayor drags Renuka to court NDTV
  10. Talibanization is happening in Karnataka - Renuka Chowdary
  11. "Hasan Ali Stayed with Renuka Chaudhary". 29 May 2011.
  12. (25 March 2012) 55 elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha the Hindu, retrieved 30 March 2012
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