Maharashtra minister's niece Nila Patil elected to Swedish Parliament

Maharashtra educationist Ashok Vikhe Patil’s daughter Nila Vikhe Patil has been elected to the Swedish Parliament, it was announced on Saturday. Nila, 41, was elected a Member of Parliament from Stockholm City constituency in the national election held on September 13. “It feels nice to be a part of the 349-member Parliament. I am looking forward to contributing to the city and the country,” she said. “I would like to be voice for those who cannot vote,” she said. “I want to contribute to a society where every child gets a chance for a good future. We need a habitable planet with clean water, living nature and as few human-caused natural disasters as possible,” she added.
Great-granddaughter of the founder of Asia’s first co-operative sugar factory, Vithalrao Vikhe Patil, and granddaughter of late Union minister Balasaheb Vikhe Patil, Nila said, “I hope to make my grandfather proud. He made me read the state budget when I was 15.”    She served as a Political Advisor in the Swedish Prime Minister’s Office, focusing on finance, taxes, and housing during the Stefan Lofven administration.
She has been a member of the City Council of the Stockholm Municipal Corporation. Born in Sweden, Nila spent early years in Ahmednagar in Maharashtra. She is niece of Maharashtra minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil. She holds a Bachelor’s degree and MBA from Gothenburg School of Business, with Economics and Law and also studied MBA in University de Complutense in Madrid.Nila said, “I love India dearly and I feel very connected. I have lots of close Indian friends. I miss my grandfather a lot. He used to call me almost weekly during his last years.” Ashok Vikhe Patil, chairman of the Vikhe Patil Foundation, which runs a chain of educational institutes across Maharashtra, said he felt proud of his daughter’s achievement.
Sweden’s left-leaning opposition won a narrow majority in the September 13 election. The Swedish Election Authority said the four opposition parties won 176 seats in the 349-seat Riksdag (Parliament). election. The four parties that make up or support the outgoing conservative-led government took 173 seats. The opposition Green Party is focused on environmentalism, renewable energy, and green politics. Nila has been active in the Green Party for 25 years and is a member of the Election Committee of the Stockholm Green Party. In April 2025, she became an authorised public accountant.