PUNE:
In what marks the fourth generation of a family entering electoral politics, Nila Vikhe Patil, 41 – great-granddaughter of Vitthalrao Vikhe Patil who founded Asia’s first (Pravara) cooperative sugar factory at Loni in 1950; granddaughter of former Union minister Balasaheb Vikhe Patil; and niece of Maharashtra cabinet minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil – has been elected to the Parliament of Sweden from the Stockholm City constituency in the national elections held on September 13 this year.
“It feels nice to be part of the 349-member Parliament. I am looking forward to contributing to the city and the country,” Nila said.
A leader of the Green Party and daughter of educationist Ashok Vikhe Patil, Nila’s election adds a new chapter to a family that has been a powerful force in the politics and cooperative sector of Ahilyanagar district for decades. While Vitthalrao did not hold elected office, his son Balasaheb who represented the Lok Sabha for seven terms and served as a Union minister carried the family into electoral politics; whereas Vitthalrao’s grandson Radhakrishna entered the Maharashtra assembly in 1995 representing Shirdi for eight consecutive terms; and Radhakrishna’s son Sujay Vikhe Patil was elected to the Lok Sabha from Ahmednagar in 2019 before being defeated in 2024. The Vikhe Patils have also built a wider institutional presence around the cooperative movement, education, healthcare and rural development. The family’s influence in Ahilyanagar has traditionally been centred around the Pravara cooperative complex and the educational institutions associated with the Vikhe Patil Foundation.
Nila was born in Sweden but spent part of her childhood in Ahilyanagar and has retained close links with Maharashtra and many of her childhood friends in India. “I would like to be a voice for those who cannot vote. My areas of interest will be children’s welfare and environment,” she said. Recalling her close relationship with her grandfather Balasaheb, Nila said that he encouraged her interest in public affairs and made her read the Maharashtra state budget when she was just 15 years’ old. Nila studied at the Gothenburg School of Business and also attended Complutense University of Madrid in Spain. She worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) from 2020, and has held several positions in Sweden’s Green Party. Her political experience includes work with the Swedish Young Greens, Green Party Gothenburg, Green Students of Sweden and the executive committee of the Green Party Stockholm. She has also served on the Green Party board. Her earlier public roles include work as an adviser in the Swedish Prime Minister’s Office.
{{/usCountry}}Nila was born in Sweden but spent part of her childhood in Ahilyanagar and has retained close links with Maharashtra and many of her childhood friends in India. “I would like to be a voice for those who cannot vote. My areas of interest will be children’s welfare and environment,” she said. Recalling her close relationship with her grandfather Balasaheb, Nila said that he encouraged her interest in public affairs and made her read the Maharashtra state budget when she was just 15 years’ old. Nila studied at the Gothenburg School of Business and also attended Complutense University of Madrid in Spain. She worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) from 2020, and has held several positions in Sweden’s Green Party. Her political experience includes work with the Swedish Young Greens, Green Party Gothenburg, Green Students of Sweden and the executive committee of the Green Party Stockholm. She has also served on the Green Party board. Her earlier public roles include work as an adviser in the Swedish Prime Minister’s Office.
{{/usCountry}}Nila’s father and chairman of the Vikhe Patil Foundation, Ashok, said that the family is proud of her achievement.
Nila’s uncle Radhakrishna described her election as a matter of ‘pride and joy’ for the family. “This success she achieved in the recently-held election is a recognition of her consistent efforts and her contributions to public life in Sweden,” he said. Radhakrishna said Nila had been involved in social and public work from an early age and recalled her stint as an adviser to the Swedish Prime Minister. “My brother Ashok worked tirelessly to ensure that his children got proper education. He has played a significant role in Nila’s success. I am confident that Nila will fulfil the expectations of the people of Sweden,” Radhakrishna said.
The Vikhe Patils have remained among the most influential political families in Ahilyanagar, with members having been associated with different political formations over the decades. Balasaheb was associated with the Congress before later joining the Shiv Sena; while Radhakrishna moved between the Congress, Shiv Sena and BJP before joining the BJP in 2019. Sujay too joined the BJP and won the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Ahmednagar.