Chandresh Kumari Katoch - 50 years in politics and still active

Dharamsala, February 2, 2022: On the completion of her 50 years of political life, the 78-year-old senior Congress leader and former minister Chandresh Kumari Katoch (born 1 February 1944) said, “I will continue to contribute to strengthen the Congress. I am sure that if all works together in Himachal, the majority of seats in Himachal can be won comfortably by congress in upcoming assembly elections later this year.”  When asked from which seat she will contest this time in Himachal, Chandresh Kumari said that the party will decide who will contest from which seat in the Himachal assembly elections in 2022.
She added, “When I got married in 1968, I came to Lambagaon for the first time, where there was no water, no electricity, no roads. So I decided that I will do something for the welfare of the people of the area.
Contested for the first time in 1972 from Bamsan assembly constituency and Won for the first time. In 1984, I contested from Thural, won there also and became the Minister of Tourism and Sports in Himachal. Did a lot in tourism development. Organized the first hang gliding international competition in Bir Billing.”
Chandresh Kumari said that In 2003 she again won the election by contesting from Dharamsala and was made the Health Minister.
She said that Kangra Airport and HP Central University are the fruits of her efforts. She said that she got HPCU approved only for Dharamsala but its establishment is still in turmoil.
She was elected to Lok Sabha from her parental city Jodhpur in 2009 to be a cabinet minister in Centre. She said, “I am permanently a Himachali as I have been living here for the past 54 years since my marriage. I am still working for the Congress and will keep working till the end.”
Maharani Chandresh Kumari Katoch (born 1 February 1944) is an Indian politician belonging to the Indian National Congress party. She is a former Minister of Culture in India's central government. She was a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha (the lower house of parliament), representing Jodhpur constituency. Katoch was sworn in as Cabinet Minister in the Government of India on 28 October 2012, and was given the portfolio of the Ministry of Culture. She is daughter of Maharaja Hanuwant Singh of Jodhpur and Maharani Krishna Kumari and is married into the royal family of Kangra with Raja Aditya Dev Chand Katoch, in Himachal Pradesh and lives in Dharamsala. She contested but lost in the 2014 Indian general election.
 

AT A GLANCE
1972–77 Member of Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (from Dharamshala constituency)
1977 Deputy Minister, Government of Himachal Pradesh
1982–84 Member, Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (second term from Dharamshala constituency)
1984 (for 9 Months) Minister of State, Tourism, Govt. of Himachal Pradesh
1984 Elected to 8th Lok Sabha from Kangra (Lok Sabha constituency)
1996 Elected to Rajya Sabha
1998–1999 Deputy Chief Whip, Congress Party in Rajya Sabha
1999-03 President, All India Mahila Congress
2003–07 Member, Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (third term from Dharamshala constituency)
2003–2004 Cabinet Minister, Govt. of Himachal Pradesh
2009 Re-elected to 15th Lok Sabha from Jodhpur (2nd term)
2012 Cabinet Minister, Ministry of Cultural, Government of India