Bahu of Cong veteran, freedom fighter

Lucknow: Congress’ CM candidate Sheila Dikshit has a UP connect as she was married to IAS officer VinodDikshit, son of veteran Congress leader UmaShankarDikshit. Uma Shankar Dikshit was a great freedom fighter, committed Congress soldier and a pillar of the party in UP, said Congress leader Aarti Bajpai about her grand uncle. Aarti, daughter of Uma Shankar’s nephew Gopinath Dikshit, said the party would gain from decision to prop Shiela Dixit as CM candidate.
Uma Shankar was a Congress veteran from Unnao and served as the Union home minister in Indira Gandhi’s cabinet. Considered among the influential Congress leaders from UP, Uma Shankar was a four-time Rajya Sabha MP though he never contested any election. He belonged to Ugoo village in Bangarmau assembly constituency in Unnao.
A Padma Vibhushan awardeee, Uma Shankar Dixit also served as All India Congress Committee treasurer and governor of Karnataka and West Bengal. He went to jail four times during the freedom struggle and was close to both Jawahar Lal Nehru and Indira Gandhi.
His nephew Gopinath Dikshit also fought eight elections from Bangarmau constituency and held several posts in the Congress and the government. Gopinath was home minister in Uttar Pradesh.