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Varsha Eknath Gaikwad
Varsha Gaikwad (L) and Krishna Tirath (R) in New Delhi
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 June 2024
Preceded by	Poonam Mahajan
Constituency	Mumbai North Central
President of Mumbai Regional Congress Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 June 2023
National President Congress	Mallikarjun Kharge
Preceded by	Bhai Jagtap
Minister of School Education Government of Maharashtra
In office 30 December 2019 – 29 June 2022
Governor	Bhagat Singh Koshyari
Chief Minister	Uddhav Thackeray
Dy Chief Minister	Ajit Pawar
Guardian Ministers	Hingoli District
Preceded by	Balasaheb Thorat Dilip Kamble (Guardian Ministers Hingoli)
Succeeded by	Eknath Shinde Abdul Sattar (Guardian Ministers Hingoli)
Minister of Woman and Child Development Government of Maharashtra
In office 11 November 2010 – 26 September 2014
Governor	K. Sankaranarayanan Om Prakash Kohli (additional charge) C. Vidyasagar Rao
Chief Minister	Prithviraj Chavan
Dy Chief Minister	Ajit Pawar
Guardian Ministers	Washim District Thane District
Preceded by	Subhash Zanak Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil (Guardian Ministers Washim) Ganesh Naik (Guardian Ministers Thane)
Succeeded by	Pankaja Munde Eknath Khadse (Guardian Ministers Washim) Eknath Shinde (Guardian Ministers Thane)
Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
In office 25 September 2004 – 18 June 2024
Governor	Mohammed Fazal S. M. Krishna S. C. Jamir (additional charge) S. C. Jamir K. Sankaranarayanan Om Prakash Kohli (additional charge) C. Vidyasagar Rao Bhagat Singh Koshyari Ramesh Bais
Speaker of Assembly	Babasaheb Kupekar Dilip Walse-Patil Haribhau Bagade Nana Patole Narhari Sitaram Zirwal (acting) Rahul Narwekar
Preceded by	Eknath Gaikwad
Succeeded by	Vacant
Constituency	Dharavi
Minister of State Government of Maharashtra
In office 07 November 2009 – 10 November 2010
Minister	Medical Education Higher and Technical Education Tourism Special Assistance
Governor	S. C. Jamir K. Sankaranarayanan
Chief Minister	Ashok Chavan
Dy Chief Minister	Chhagan Bhujbal
Guardian Ministers	Hingoli District
Personal details
Born	(1975-02-03) 3 February 1975 (age 49) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Political party	Indian National Congress
Parent	Eknath Gaikwad (father)
Education	M.Sc (Maths), B.Ed
Occupation	Politician
Profession	Professor

Varsha Eknath Gaikwad (born 3 February 1975) is an Indian politician serving as a member of parliament, Lok Sabha. She is the President of the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee. Earlier, she was a four term Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (MLA) represented the Dharavi Assembly Constituency in Mumbai (2004-2024).^[1][2][3][4] She served as the Cabinet Minister of Maharashtra from 30 December 2019 to 29 June 2022.

Gaikwad won the Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. She defeated BJP candidate Adv. Ujjwal Nikam.^[5] She is one of the three Buddhist MPs in the 18th Lok Sabha.^[6]

• 2004 – 2009: Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (1st term)
• 2009 – 2014: Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (2nd term)
  • 2009 - 2010: State Minister for Medical Education, Higher and Technical Education, Tourism, Special Assistance
  • 2010 – 2014: Cabinet Minister for Women and Child Development, Government of Maharashtra^[7][8]
• 2014 – 2019: Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (3rd term)
• 2019 – 2024: Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (4th term)^[9]
  • Cabinet Minister for School Education Department, Government of Maharashtra
• 2024 – current: Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha

Varsha Gaikwad's father is Eknath Gaikwad, who was a three term Member of parliament. She belongs to an Ambedkarite Buddhist family.^{[10][11][12][13]} She was lecturer in Siddharth College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Mumbai.^[14]

On the occasion of his birthday Hazrat Maula Ali Shah Dargah Trust and Muhammad Akram Khan Social Welfare Trust jointly organized an All India Mushaira on 10 February 2010 Sunday, in which BC Mumbai Congress President Kripashankar Singh, Mumbai Congress Minority Department President Nizamuddin Rain and famous Kunwar Javed, Obaid Azam Azmi, Anjum Lucknowi, Sundar Malegaonkar, Irfan Jafri, Quaiser Khalid (Joint Commissioner Mumbai Police), Alam Nizami, Lata Haya, Deepti Mishra, Mumtaz Najaz, and special guests Eknath Gaikwad (MP), Arif Naseem Khan (Minister) were present.^[15]