Keshubhai Patel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Keshubhai Patel
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| 10th Chief Minister of Gujarat | |
| In office 14 March 1995 – 21 October 1995 |
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| Preceded by | Chhabildas Mehta |
| Succeeded by | Suresh Mehta |
| In office 4 March 1998 – 6 October 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Dilip Parikh |
| Succeeded by | Narendra Modi |
| 3rd Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat | |
| In office 4 March 1990 – 25 October 1990 |
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| Chief Minister | Chimanbhai Patel |
| Preceded by | Kantilal Ghia |
| Succeeded by | Narhari Amin |
| Member of parliament, Lok Sabha | |
| In office 1977–1980 |
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| Preceded by | Ghanshyambhai Oza |
| Succeeded by | Ramjibhai Mavani |
| Constituency | Rajkot |
| Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha | |
| In office 10 April 2002 – 9 April 2008 |
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| Constituency | Gujarat |
| Irrigation Minister in Government of Gujarat | |
| In office 1978–1980 |
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| Constituency | Rajkot |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 July 1928 Visavadar, Junagadh State, British India |
| Died | 29 October 2020 (aged 92) Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India |
| Political party | Bharatiya Jana Sangh (1951-1980) Bharatiya Janata Party (1980–2012, 2014-2020) Gujarat Parivartan Party (2012 – 2014) |
| Spouse | Leela Patel |
| Children | Five sons, one daughter |
| Awards | Padma Bhushan (2021) (posthumously) |
Keshubhai Patel (born July 24, 1928, died October 29, 2020) was an important Indian politician. He served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat state two times: first in 1995, and then again from 1998 to 2001. He was elected to the Gujarat Legislative Assembly six times.
Keshubhai Patel was involved with political groups like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) from the 1940s. He later joined the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the Janata Party, and then the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1980. In 2012, he left the BJP and started his own party, the Gujarat Parivartan Party. He won an election in 2012 but resigned in 2014 due to health issues. His party then joined back with the BJP. After he passed away, he was given India's third-highest civilian award, the Padma Bhushan, in 2021.
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Early Life and Education
Keshubhai Patel was born on July 24, 1928, in Visavadar town in the Junagadh district of Gujarat. His family was known as 'Desai' because they were clerks who collected taxes. They later moved to Saurashtra and ran a flour mill in Rajkot.
Patel went to Alfred High School in Rajkot, which was also where Mahatma Gandhi studied. In 1945, he joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a pracharak, which means a full-time worker. He was even put in jail during a period called the Emergency in India.
Beginning a Political Career
Keshubhai Patel started his political journey by running for elections in the Rajkot municipality. He began his career as a worker for the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in the 1960s. In 1975, he won an election from the Rajkot Vidhan Sabha Constituency.
From 1978 to 1980, he served as the Minister for Irrigation in the Gujarat government. This government was led by Chief Minister Babubhai Jashbhai Patel. Keshubhai Patel was also involved in helping people after the big 1979 Machchhu dam failure that caused a lot of damage in Morbi.
Becoming Chief Minister
Keshubhai Patel won several assembly elections between 1975 and 2012. These included elections in Rajkot, Gondal, Kalavad, Tankara, and Visavadar. In 1980, when the Jan Sangh party ended, he became a senior leader in the new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
He served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat from March to October 1990. In 1995, he led the BJP's election campaign against the Indian National Congress. The BJP won, and Keshubhai Patel became the Chief Minister of Gujarat on March 14, 1995. However, he resigned seven months later.
The BJP, led by Patel, won the 1998 assembly elections again. He became the Chief Minister for a second time on March 4, 1998.
Later Political Life and Retirement
Keshubhai Patel resigned as Chief Minister on October 2, 2001, because of his health. There were also concerns about how the government handled relief work after the big 2001 Bhuj earthquake. Narendra Modi took over as Chief Minister after him.
Patel did not run in the 2002 Gujarat assembly election. However, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha (another part of India's Parliament) in 2002 without anyone opposing him.
In 2012, Keshubhai Patel left the BJP and started his own party, the Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP). He won a seat in the Visavadar area in the 2012 election. However, he resigned from his party leadership in January 2014 and from the Gujarat Legislative Assembly in February 2014 due to poor health. His party, the GPP, later joined back with the BJP in February 2014.
Family and Passing Away
Keshubhai Patel was married to Leela Patel. They had five sons and one daughter. His son, Bharat Patel, is also a member of the BJP. Sadly, Leela Patel passed away in 2006 due to a fire at their home. In 2017, his son Pravin Patel, who lived in the US, also passed away.
Keshubhai Patel tested positive for COVID-19 in September 2020. He seemed to recover at first. However, on October 29, 2020, he had trouble breathing and was taken to the hospital. He passed away that same day due to complications from COVID-19.
