Nagpur: Neeta Thakre, all set to become Nagpur’s 55th mayor at the age of 55, comes from a background rooted in education and grassroots politics, even as her own political journey unfolded within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). A 4-term corporator, Thakre’s rise reflects sustained ward-level engagement and organisational work rather than political inheritance.Thakre holds an MA and BEd, and an early association with the teaching field before entering active politics. Education remained a strong influence in her life, reinforced by her family environment. She lives in a joint family of around 20 members, a support system she credits for enabling her long and demanding public career.She is married to Rajendra Thakre, who served as a teacher in a Nagpur Municipal Corporation school and was also active in public life. Rajendra Thakre remained closely associated with teachers’ unions and organisational activities, though he never contested elections. The mayor-elect often described her husband as her backbone through the political journey.The couple has 2 children — an elder daughter and a younger son, both married. Despite the pressures of public life, Thakre maintains close family ties and continues to live within the joint family set-up.Politics was a familiar presence in her early years. Thakre is the daughter of a Congress worker, who was an active associate of former MLA Satish Chaturvedi. While her political upbringing was shaped in a Congress household, Thakre later carved her own political path in the BJP, grounding her career in organisational work and local governance.From seeking party ticket in 1997 to her first electoral win in 2002, Thakre’s journey was gradual, disciplined, and firmly rooted in grassroots politics.
