First elected to the Lok Sabha in 1984 from Kannauj Parliamentary Constituency of Uttar Pradesh, Sheila Dikshit served as a Minister under Rajiv Gandhi first as the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and later as a Minister of State in the Prime Minister's office.

While managing her father-in-law Uma Shankar Dikshit's affairs, Sheila's potential was noticed by Indira Gandhi. Impressed by her work, Gandhi nominated Sheila as a member of the Indian delegation to the UN Commission on status of women.

She served as Minister of State for Parliamentary affairs in Rajiv Gandhi's Cabinet between 1986-89 but was in brief hibernation after losing Lok Sabha elections in 1989 from Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh.

The Congress sprang a surprise in 1998 when it made her the president of faction-ridden Delhi Congress and then the Chief Minister. Dikshit led Congress to victory in 2003 and 2008, riding on the twin-plank of governance and development.