New Delhi, June. 14 (PTI): Nearly three years ago, Pratibha Patil became the first woman Governor of Rajasthan and, after her selection as UPA nominee for the post of President, she could break the male dominance at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

A qualified lawyer from Maharashtra, 72-year-old Patil has a wealth of experience as a politician and administrator having held key positions in the Maharashtra unit of the Congress, ministerial portfolios before occupying the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson's post for about two years from November 1986.

Nearly eight years after her tenure as Lok Sabha member had ended in 1996, Patil, a staunch loyalist of the Nehru-Gandhi family and a non-controversial personality, had gone into a virtual political wilderness before she was brought in as Rajasthan Governor in November 2004.

Born on December 19, 1934 in Jalgaon district of Maharashtra, Patil practised as a lawyer in Jalgaon before joining politics.

She was a member of the Maharashtra Assembly from 1962 to 1985 during which she was a Minister holding portfolios like urban development and housing education, tourism, parliamentary affairs, public health and social welfare, cultural affairs, working her way up from the rank of Deputy Minister to cabinet as also in the Congress hierarchy.

Patil also has the experience of being a Leader of the Opposition when Sharad Pawar, as the head of Purogami Lok Dal, became Maharashtra Chief Minister for the first time in July 1979.

Pratibha Patil's husband was the first mayor of Amravati Municipal Corporation when the municipal council was upgraded as corporation way back in 1983.

Associated with sports and educational institutions, he was elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly in 1985.