Dilip Parikh

{{Short description|Indian politician and industrialist (1937–2019)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Dilip Parikh

| image =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1937|2|16|df=y}}

| birth_place = Bombay, Bombay Province, British India

| death_date = {{death date and age|2019|10|25|1937|2|16|df=y}}

| death_place = Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

| term_start =28 October 1997

| term_end= 4 March 1998

| order= 13th Chief Minister of Gujarat

| predecessor = Shankersinh Vaghela

| successor = Keshubhai Patel

| office2 = Minister of Industries in Government of Gujarat

| term_start2 = 1995

| term_end2 = 1997

| subterm2= Chief Minister

| suboffice2= Shankersinh Vaghela

| office3 = MLA of Gujarat

| term_start3 = 1990

| term_end3 = 1998

| constituency3 = Dhandhuka constituency

| party = Bharatiya Janata Party {{small|(1995–1996)}}
Rashtriya Janata Party {{small|(1996–1998)}}

| spouse =

| children =

| footnotes =

| date=

| year =

}}

Dilip Ramanbhai Parikh (16 February 1937 – 25 October 2019) was an Indian politician and industrialist. He was the 13th Chief Minister of Gujarat from 28 October 1997 to 4 March 1998. Dilip Parekh is also the most recent non BJP Chief Minister of Gujarat as of now. As BJP has been ruling the state ever since.

Early life

Parikh was born in 1937 in Bombay (now Mumbai). He received BA in Economics from Elphinstone College, Bombay. He studied law as well.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/gujarati/india-50188219|title=દિલીપભાઈ પરીખ : એ ઉદ્યોગપતિ જે ગુજરાતના મુખ્ય મંત્રી બન્યા|last=Vyas|first=Jaynarayan|date=26 October 2019|work=BBC Gujarati|access-date=26 October 2019|language=gu}} He had a plastic manufacturing business. He served as the President of Gujarat State Plastic Manufacturers' Association in 1973–74. In 1979, he led the association of plastic and rubber industries in the state. He served as the president of the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the 1980s.{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/former-gujarat-chief-minister-dilip-parikh-dies-at-82-6088632/|title=Former Gujarat Chief Minister Dilip Parikh dies at 82|date=26 October 2019|website=The Indian Express|language=en-IN|access-date=26 October 2019}}{{cite news|date=10 November 1997|title=Hapless at the top Gujarat Chief Minister Dilip Parikh to face tense days ahead|first=Uday|last= Mahurkar|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/gujarat-chief-minister-dilip-parikh-to-face-tense-days-ahead/1/275141.html|access-date = 1 January 2014}}

Political career

In 1990, Parikh entered politics and served as the Vice President of the State Committee of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He contested and won 1990 and 1995 Gujarat legislative assembly elections from Dhandhuka constituency as a candidate of BJP.

BJP won majority in 1995 election and formed government headed by Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel. Patel resigned in October 1995 following revolt of his colleague Shankersinh Vaghela and consequently, Suresh Mehta was sworn in as the Chief Minister in October 1995 and he served until September 1996.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rediff.com/news/oct/20guj1.htm|title=Rediff On The NeT: A prickly marriage of convenience|website=rediff.com|access-date=26 October 2019}} Parikh was the minister of industries in the cabinet headed by Mehta.

In 1996, when Vaghela split the BJP and formed the Rashtriya Janata Party, he joined RJP which formed the minority government with support of the Indian National Congress (INC) and Vaghela became the Chief Minister on 23 October 1996. A year later INC threatened to withdraw its support on 20 October 1997. A week later the compromise was reached as a change of Chief Minister. Vaghela stepped down and Parikh was sworn in as a Chief Minister by governor Krishna Pal Singh in 1997.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rediff.com/news/oct/27guj.htm|title=Rediff On The NeT: Dilip Parikh will succeed Vaghela as Gujarat CM|website=rediff.com|access-date=26 October 2019}}

In 182 members Gujarat Legislative Assembly, there were only 46 RJP members while there were 44 INC, 76 BJP and 15 Independents members. Thus minority government by outside support of the INC resulted in the instability. He submitted his resignation to Gujarat Governor Krishna Pal Singh and called for the fresh assembly election on 5 January 1998 but continued as a caretaker Chief Minister till 4 March 1998.{{cite web|url=http://expressindia.indianexpress.com/ie/daily/19980106/00650054.html|title=Gujarat CM Parikh resigns|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102192913/http://expressindia.indianexpress.com/ie/daily/19980106/00650054.html|archive-date=2 January 2014|date=6 January 1998|website=The Indian Express}} He lost to the BJP candidate Bharat Pandya in Dhandhuka by a margin of over 15000 votes in 1998 Gujarat legislative assembly election while RJP won only four seats. BJP regained power with 117 seats out of 182 seats assembly.{{cite web|url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl1506/15060290.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102194259/http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl1506/15060290.htm|date=21 March 1998|archive-date=2 January 2014|title=Elections '98: The Assembly round|website=Frontline}} He later joined INC and afterwards retired from the politics.

He died on 25 October 2019 in Ahmedabad after a surgery following a fall a few days previous. His body was cremated at Thaltej.{{Cite web|url=https://thewire.in/politics/former-gujarat-chief-minister-dilip-parikh-dies-at-82|title=Former Gujarat Chief Minister Dilip Parikh Dies at 82|website=The Wire|access-date=26 October 2019}}

References