9. As her husband grew increasingly active in politics, she accompanied him everywhere. It was from there that she grasped political sense. She helped Sanjay in campaigning. Through a magazine – Surya, she used the medium of journalism to promote the Congress party.
After Sanjay's death in 1983 she formed her own party- Rashtriya Sanjay Manch. She filed her own nomination from his seat, Amethi. But Rajiv defeated her.
Later she merged her party with Janata Dal and became its General Secretary. At the age of 33 she became India's youngest Minister.
Contesting as an Independent candidate from Pilibhit, Maneka was re-elected in 1996 and again in 1998 with among the highest margins of victory in the country. She has won 5 out of the 6 times she has contested from Pilibhit. In 2004 she again joined the BJP.
