Rita Bahuguna Joshi Wiki, Age, Caste, Husband, Children, Family, Biography & More

Rita Bahuguna Joshi is an Indian politician and educator. She has worked as a cabinet minister in the Government of Uttar Pradesh. She served as the president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee from 2007 to 2012. The former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna, was her father. She joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on 20 October 2016. In 2019, she contested the general elections from the Allahabad constituency on the ticket of the BJP and won.

Wiki/Biography

Rita Bahuguna Joshi was born on Sunday, 22 July 1949 (age 73 years; as of 2022) in Allahabad, United Provinces, India. Her zodiac sign is Cancer. Soon after completing her school education, she completed her MA and a PhD degree in History from Allahabad University in 1981. She grew up in a family of politicians from Allahabad, U.P.

H.N. Bahuguna (standing) at a Janata Party session in Simla

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 4″

Hair Colour: Salt and Pepper

Eye Colour: Black

Family

Parents & Siblings

Her father’s name is Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna, and he was a former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. He served as the Finance Minister of India during the tenure of Indian Prime Minister Charan Singh.

Rita Bahuguna Joshi’s father

Her mother’s name is Kamala Bahuguna, and she was an MP from the Phulpur Lok Sabha constituency.

Rita Bahuguna Joshi with her mother

She has two brothers named Vijay Bahuguna and Shekhar Bahuguna.

Rita Bahuguna Joshi’s brother, Vijay Bahuguna

Vijay Bahuguna was the sixth Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, and Shekhar Bahuguna tried his hands at politics in 2012 when he contested the assembly election from the Phaphamau constituency in Allahabad, U.P.; however, he lost.

Rita Bahuguna Joshi’s brother, Shekhar Bahuguna

Husband & Children

On 25 November 1976, she got married to Puran Chandra Joshi. Puran Chandra is in a logistics business occupation. The couple has a son named Mayank Joshi.

Rita Bahuguna Joshi with her husband, son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter

Caste

She belongs to the Brahmin community.

Address

Her permanent address is 20, Minto Road, Prayagraj-211001, Uttar Pradesh.

Signature/Autograph

Signature of Rita Bahuguna Joshi

Career

From 1974 to 2008, Rita Bahuguna Joshi served as a Member of the UNDP Advisory Board of Local Authorities in Uttar Pradesh. In 2004, she was appointed as a Member of the Bejing + 10 Drafting Committee. From 1995 to 2000, she served as the mayor of the Allahabad constituency. She began working as the president of the All India Mahila Congress in 2003. She is a former vice president of the National Council of Women. She was appointed as the president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee in 2007. She contested the Legislative Assembly elections for the Lucknow constituency in 2012 but lost. She again faced failure in 2014 the Lok Sabha elections from the Lucknow constituency. After serving the Indian National Congress for twenty-four years, on 20 October 2016, she joined Bharatiya Janta Party.

Rita Bahuguna Joshi while joining the BJP in 2016

She served as the President of the All India Mahila Congress from 2003 to 2008. As a women politician, she often raises her voice in many Women’s Movements for their upliftment, and frequently organises several seminars, campaigns, and demonstrations for the welfare of women. She led the campaign titled ‘Movement for Reservation for Women in Local Bodies’ in Uttar Pradesh in 1991-92.

Rita Bahuguna Joshi while addressing a movement for the women of India

Educator

Soon after completing her formal education, she started working as a Medieval and Modern History professor at the University of Allahabad.

Literary Works

Rita Bahuguna Joshi penned two books of history before venturing into politics. She authored a book titled “Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna: A political crusader on 23 May 2022. This book was based on the life story of her father and former U.P. chief minister late Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna. On the release of the book, Rita Joshi talked about the research and analysis she conducted to pen this book. She said,

I interviewed around 100 people and gathered newspaper clippings and documents from my father’s wardrobes, and the process took about 4-5 years. After that, I began writing. As a daughter, I had the opportunity to closely observe him.”

The book titled “Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna – A political crusader” was released by Rita Bahuguna Joshi under the banner of Vani Prakashan on Monday at a bookstore in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow

Controversies

Cases Pending

• 2 charges related to Voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duty (IPC Section-332)

• 1 charge related to Voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter a public servant from his duty (IPC Section-333)

• 1 charge related to Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony (IPC Section-153A)

• 1 charge related to Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property (IPC Section-420)

Cases Where Convicted

• 1 charge related to Forgery of valuable security, will, etc. (IPC Section-467)

• 1 charge related to Forgery for purpose of cheating (IPC Section-468)

•  1 charge related to an Attempt to murder (IPC Section-307)

• 3 charges related to Disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant (IPC Section-188)

• 2 charges related to an Act endangering life or personal safety of others (IPC Section-336)

• 2 charges related to Punishment for wrongful restraint (IPC Section-341)

• 2 charges related to Punishment for Rioting (IPC Section-147)

• 1 charge related to Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object (IPC Section-149)

• 1 charge related to Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt (IPC Section-323)

• 1 charge related to Causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others (IPC Section-337)

• 1 charge related to Causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others (IPC Section-338

• 1 charge related to Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty (IPC Section-353)

• 1 charge related to Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot-if rioting be committed-if not committed (IPC Section-153)

• 1 charge related to Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace (IPC Section-504)

• 1 charge related to Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman (IPC Section-509)

• 1 charge related to Punishment of criminal conspiracy (IPC Section-120B)

• 1 charge related to Public servant framing incorrect record or writing with intent to save person from punishment or property from forfeiture (IPC Section-218)

• 1 charge related to Using as genuine a forged document or electronic record (IPC Section-471)

• 1 charge related to Rioting, armed with deadly weapon (IPC Section-148)

Detained for Hate Speech Against Mayawati

On 16 July 2009, she was detained in the Moradabad jail for 14 days in judicial custody. She was detained for making derogatory remarks about Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati. In one of her speeches, Rita pointed towards Mayawati and stated that Mayawati was responsible for the failed law and order system in Uttar Pradesh and the increasing rape cases in the state. She stated that the rape victims were provided 25,000 rupees compensation to keep themselves away from the FIR against the accused. Rita Remake,

Simply compensating the women with money was not enough. Women who are raped should “throw the money at Mayawati’s face and tell her ‘you should also be raped and I will give you 10 million rupees.”

Rita, Rahul Gandhi, and Digvijay Singh were arrested by the Meerut police from Village Bhatta Parsaul of western Uttar Pradesh on 11 May 2011 while they were attending an agitation rally of the local farmers.

Rita Bahuguna Joshi with Rahul Gandhi while addressing a political rally

Violation of the Model Code of Conduct

An arrest warrant in the case of violation of the model code of conduct during the assembly elections in 2012 was issued against Rita Bahuguna Joshi on 21 October 2022. In 2012, she was associated with the Indian National Congress. She was found guilty of campaigning after the closure of the 2012 assembly elections. Mukesh Chaturvedi, the static magistrate, filed a case at Krishna Nagar police station against her on 17 February 2012. The elections investigating officer, Ramsahai Dwivedi filed a charge sheet against her in March 2012.

Assets/Properties

Movable Assets

• Deposits in Banks: Rs 74,70,656

• Bonds, Debentures and Shares: Rs 14,82,927

• NSS, Postal Savings: Rs 4,00,000

Immovable Assets

• Commercial Buildings: Rs 20,00,000

• Residential Buildings: Rs 1,50,00,000

Liabilities

• Loans from Banks: Rs 16,00,000

Note: The given estimates of movable and immovable assets are according to the year 2019. It excludes the assets owned by her husband and dependents.

Net Worth

Rita Bahuguna Joshi’s net worth for the financial year 2020-2021 was estimated to be Rs. 2.5 crores.

Note: It excludes the net worth of her husband and dependents.

Facts/Trivia

• Rita Bahuguna Joshi won the Prayagraj constituency elections on the ticket of the Bharatiya Janata Party before she contested and won the 2019 general elections from the Allahabad constituency.

• On 20 October 2020, Rita Bahuguna Joshi was felicitated with a United Nations Award of Excellence for being among the “Most Distinguished Women Mayor in South Asia.” In June 2001, she was awarded with the same honour at Phitsanulok, Thailand in 2001.

• In 2020, during the Diwali festival, the granddaughter of Rita Bahuguna Joshi suffered sixty per cent burns while playing with Diyas. The six-year-old, Kiya Joshi, passed away in Prayagraj after her dress caught fire on the terrace of the house.
  

  An old Diwali festival picture of Rita Bahuguna with her husband and granddaughter

• In January 2022, Rita Bahuguna Joshi demanded an assembly ticket from the Bhartiya Janata Party for her son from the Lucknow constituency. She addressed in a media conference that if BJP offered her son an election ticket then she would leave her seat. She demanded,
  

  If BJP is giving ticket on the principle that only one person from a family will get it, then I am ready to give up the post of Lok Sabha MP for my son.”

  However, BJP denied Mayank Joshi a ticket before the last phase of the Uttar Pradesh elections, and in March 2022, he became a part of the Samajwadi Party (SP). BJP did not consider Rita Bahuguna Joshi’s offering to surrender from her post as per BJP’s one-family-one-ticket rule.

• Once, in a media conversation, Rita Bahuguna disclosed that she loved reading books and travelling to distant places in her leisure time. She added that listening to light music and watching films were her favourite pastime activities.