Banker Turned AAP Leader Meera Sanyal Dies After A Brief Illness

Noted banker-turned-politician Meera Sanyal died on Friday after a brief illness. She was 57 and was fighting cancer for the last couple of years

Sanyal gave up her 30-year corporate career as chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland, and joined politics. Sanyal had previously served as the head of corporate finance and chief operating officer for ABN Amro for Asia.

During the 2009 Lok Sabha election, she unsuccessfully contested as an independent candidate from South Mumbai seat. She contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election as a candidate of the then fledgeling Aam Aadmi Party again from the South Mumbai seat but lost.

Sanyal, who has had good experience in the area of public policy, was a part of the team that drafted party’s economic manifesto. While Sanyal consistently advocated formulating simpler regulation for business, less red tape and a simplified tax structure, she could not shape her party’s economic agenda completely in tune with her beliefs.

Sanyal was born in Kochi to decorated vice-admiral Gulab Hiranandani, a veteran of the 1971 war. She studied at Cathedral and John Connon School and Sydenham College, She acquired a management degree from Harvard University. She served on the board of Jaihind College and actively associated with industry bodies like CII and Ficci.