Abida Ahmed (1923–2003) was an Indian politician and the wife of Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, the fifth President of India. She served as the First Lady of India during her husband's tenure from 1974 until his death in office in 1977. She was later elected to the Lok Sabha from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh as a member of the Indian National Congress.
| Full name | Abida Ahmed |
|---|---|
| Born | 1923 |
| Died | 2003 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Spouse | Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed |
| Political party | Indian National Congress |
| Position held | Member of the Lok Sabha; First Lady of India (1974–1977) |
| Constituency | Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh |
Abida Ahmed was married to Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, a senior Congress leader from Assam who held a number of cabinet portfolios in the Union government before being elected President of India in August 1974. As the wife of the head of state, she undertook the public and ceremonial role of First Lady, hosting visiting dignitaries at Rashtrapati Bhavan and engaging with cultural and educational causes.
Her husband died in office on 11 February 1977, making him only the second Indian President to die during his term. Following his death, Abida Ahmed continued to remain active in public life.
Abida Ahmed entered electoral politics in her own right after her husband's death. She was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Bareilly parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh on an Indian National Congress ticket. In Parliament, she was associated with issues relating to education, women's welfare and the cultural heritage of Indian Muslims, and was identified with efforts to promote the Urdu language.
She was associated with several literary, educational and cultural bodies, including initiatives connected with Urdu literature and minority education. Her public engagements often reflected an interest in promoting communal harmony and the cultural traditions of north India.
Abida Ahmed is remembered both as a First Lady of India during a politically turbulent phase that included the declaration of the Emergency in June 1975, and as a parliamentarian who transitioned from a ceremonial role to elected public office. Her career illustrates the participation of Muslim women from political families in post-independence Indian public life.