Keshari Devi Patel

Keshari Devi Patel is an Indian politician and a Member of Parliament (MP) from the Lok Sabha constituency of Phulpur in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Phulpur is historically important, as it has been the constituency of two earlier Indian Prime Ministers. Jawaharlal Nehru had won from this constituency three times whereas Vishwanath Pratap Singh (V.P.Singh) won it one time in 1971. Phulpur Lok Sabha constituency comprises Assembly constituencies of Phaphamau, Soraon, Phulpur, Allahabad West and Allahabad North.

Keshari Devi is part of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Keshari has had a long political career spanning more than two decades. She had started her political journey with BJP and remained a loyalist with the party from 1996 to 2004.

However, she switched to Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in 2004. In the same year, she contested from Phulpur seat. However, she lost to Ateeq Ahmed of Samajwadi Party (SP). She contested Lok Sabha election again in 2014, this time from Allahabad. This time she came third in the election with vote share of 18.18%. She trailed Shyama Charan Gupta of BJP who won the election and Kunwar Rewati Raman Singh (SP) who came second.

It is probably due to her defeats in polls that she decided to join BJP in 2019. In the same year, she contested from Phulpur. She won by a comfortable margin this time, even though primary opposition parties had jointly fought the 2019 Lok Sabha elections under the banner of ‘Mahagathbandhan’. She received 5,44,701 votes, which is more than 55% of the overall votes cast. She defeated her nearest rival Pandhari Yadav (SP) who received 3,72,733 votes.

Early Life and Education

Keshari Devi Patel was born on January 01, 1957 to Shri Hanuman Das Singh and Smt. Dhanpati Devi. She was born in Dabwa Khandeha, Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh. She has a Master’s degree in Arts and she received education at A.P.S. University, Rewa, Madhya Pradesh. On February 17, 1973, she got married to Shri Gulab Singh.

Political Career

• 1995 – 2019: Member, Zila Panchayat (Zila Parishad)
• 1999-2005, 2007-2012 & 2018: President, Zila Panchayat (Zila Parishad)
• 2001 – 2003: President, ‘PACSFED’, Uttar Pradesh
• 2007 – 2008: Vice-President, Women Welfare Corporation, Uttar Pradesh
• May, 2019: Elected to 17th Lok Sabha
• 13 Sept. 2019 onwards: Member, Standing Committee on Railways; Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Corporate Affairs

Personal Pursuits

Keshari Devi Patel remains committed to helping rural and helpless people. She constantly endeavors to help women, children, elderly and handicapped people. She is also involved with projects that focus on supplying drinking water, water conservation and plantation of trees.