At an age when most youngsters struggle to find their feet, 26-year-old Rakhi Birla is not just the youngest minister in Arvind Kejriwal’s cabinet, but also its only woman face.
Birla had emerged as a giant killer after thumping four-time MLA and PWD Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan in the Sheila Dikshit government in Mangolpuri by around 10,500 votes.
Before joining AAP, Birla had worked with a private news channel. She had also been working in collaboration with social organisations for the cause of the Valmiki community.
Birla hails from the Valmiki community and her father was associated with the Congress for a long time but quit the party in 2011 during the Janlokpal movement. She was born in Delhi to Sheila and Bhupendra Singh Bidhlan and is the youngest of their four daughters.
Birla’s last name which reminds you of one of India’s business families, got actually stuck with her after her school teacher made a mistake while preparing her Class X certificate and wrote Birla instead of Bidhlan, which is her actual surname. Birla had declared assets worth Rs 51,150 in her election affidavit.
Her family has been related to social work since the last four generations, from her great-grandfather and then grandfather who was part of India’s freedom struggle. Coming from a modest background, Birla always dreamt big.
After graduating from Delhi University’s Shivaji College, she did her masters in mass communication and joined a local television channel as a reporter. During her stint as journalist, Birla covered the Janlokpal movement and came in contact of India Against Corruption and Arvind Kejriwal.
When AAP was formed, Birla joined AAP and fought elections from her home turf, where she registered one of the biggest upset of these elections by thumping Chauhan who was considered invincible from the reserved constituency.
A Frog in Well ?
In Sanskrit , it is called , ” Koop Mandook ”
A frog which cannot see the Sun rise ( – in Sanskrit , Arvind stands for Sun )
There is no other explanation for Nitin Gadkari to allege that a leading industrialist brokered a deal between AAP and Congress
There is no other explanation for Dr Harshvardhan to say ,
” AAP will fail to deliver on its promises ”
The leader of the opposition in Delhi Assembly ( who , in his post-swearing in speech , Arvind described as a ” good man ” ) , could not have dreamed that Arvind will motivate 50,000 Delhi-ites to chant ,
” I will neither offer bribe , nor take bribe ”
The good Doctor could not have realized that , after this slogan , Arvind need not worry about fulfilling AAP’s poll promises
With this slogan , people of Delhi will themselves fulfill their own dreams !
Even as experts ( – and some eminent non-experts ) , were debating till late in the night , how AAP will fail ,
> Red beacons disappeared from official cars ( Magic Wand ? )
> Powerful bureaucrats were , unceremoniously shunted out
Do the feudal lords of Congress / BJP realize that , if AAP manages to cleanse the Delhi Administration of corruption , then people don’t care if AAP fails to deliver on all of its other poll promises ?
Most dangerous / unnerving thought !
Most calamitous prophesy !
Most certain obliteration !
Nitinji ,
Remember that 26 year old dalit girl Rakhi Birla defeating a veteran Congress Minister in Delhi ?
You would do well not to contest your 2014 Lok Sabha seat against Anjani Damania from Gadh Chiroli or Mumbai’s Worli !
People without homes , electricity , water , schools , toilets , hospitals etc , have sounded the death-knell of the corrupts !
Can you hear it ?
A new Sun has risen
The sooner you come out of your Mandook and see it , the better !
Sonia / Rahul have seen it
That is why they want Adarsh Scam Report ” re-considered ” !
* hemen parekh ( 29 Dec 2013 / Mumbai )