Former U'khand governor Baby Rani Maurya sworn in as UP minister

An influential Jatav leader, Baby Rani Maurya last year resigned from the Uttarakhand governor's post, to take a plunge into active politics.

On Friday, the 65-year-old Dalit leader was sworn-in as an Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister.

Maurya had resigned from the governor's post in September last year, leading to speculation that the party wanted her to enter active politics.

She had held the governor's post for three years.

She was made the national vice-president of the party and was elected to the state assembly from Agra (Rural) in the just-concluded elections.

With a degree in education (BEd) and Masters in arts, she has been a member of the National Commission for Women.

She had contested the 2007 assembly elections from Etmadpur on a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket but was defeated then.

Her husband Pradeep Kumar retired from a senior post in a bank.

Baby Rani Maurya had joined the BJP in 1995 and then became the mayor of Agra.

After that she held several positions in the party.