Rita Patel, elected to Leicester City Council

Rita Patel, founder of Operation Black Vote and the Peepul Centre, has been elected to serve the people of the Humberstone and Hamilton as Councillor on Leicester City Council with a clear majority of 2263 votes.

Over the past two decades Rita Patel has built organisations and institutions that have literally changed thousands upon thousands of lives. Rita along with a few women launched Belgrave Baheno an organisation that would campaign, in the main, for Asian women’s rights; first in Leicester, and then across the country, eventually spanning their scope to support women in India, Pakistan and Africa.

Not content with being a champion for women, Rita along with OBV Director Simon Woolley and former chair Lee Jasper set up Operation Black Vote. Her most ambitious project was to establish the Peepul Centre – a fifteen million pounds theatre, arts and cinema complex to celebrate Leicester’s cultural diversity.

Speaking about Rita’s election OBV Director Simon Woolley said:

"I have no doubt that Rita Patel will bring both humility and humanity to Leicester politics. Above all she cares about people, and how she can help provide dignity, opportunity and mutual respect. I would hope the newly elected Mayor would appoint her as part of his team to deliver a bold strategy."