Vandana Chavan

Vandana Hemant Chavan (born 6 July 1961), is a Maharashtra politician elected to the Rajya Sabha as a Nationalist Congress Party of India (NCP) member from April 2012 for Maharashtra.

Vandana Chavan was born in Pune, where she spent her early childhood. Her father, Late. Vijayarao Mohite was Veteran lawyer and mentor to many leading criminal lawyers and mother Mrs. Jayashree Mohite retired as a part-time Lecturer in law. She is married to Hemant Chavan, a Prominent Lawyer. Her sister Vinita Kamte was married to Late. Ashok Kamte, a martyr in 26/11 Mumbai attack.

Political career

She was elected mayor of Pune for the period March 1997 - 1998. In that period she Was Vice Chairperson of All India Council of Mayors and also she was Chairperson of Maharashtra State Mayor, President and Councillors Organisation. As mayor she incorporated the concept of the Bio Diversity Park (BDP) into the development plan of the fringe villages, amid resistance from within and outside her party. Suresh Kalmadi who initially mentored her and gave her a break in politics, Chavan preferred to shift to the NCP.