Panchayat Elections Results : Women on TOP

Smt. Shimla Devi , SARPANCH of her PANCHAYAT

Women in Bihar are taking a big leap in what is being described as one of the most historic Panchayat elections with as many as 50 per cent seats reserved for women.Counting is on in several districts and for some of the winners it has been a fascinating journey to power at the grassroot level.People in Simlabari village, just 8 km from Kishanganj, have elected Shimla Devi, a tea vendor as their new sarpanch.Shimla credits her success to the quota besides encouragement from her own customers. "All these people used to come to my tea stall and they forced me to contest. So I took their advice," she said.There is also a special man behind Shimla's victory, her husband Deonath Paswan who came all the way from Siliguri to campaign for his wife.Deonath, a rickshaw puller, worked overtime to meet expenses. He is now confident that his wife can manage quite well on her own."We are a big family and one member's income is not sufficient," said Deonath Paswan, Shimla Devi's husband.Another local, Phulia Devi has also been elected as the mukhiya of her village. A grass cutter in the Abdullanagar village near Purnea, Phulia had to sell all her livestock to fund her campaign."I have been elected. I will work for them and pressurize the government to provide more facilities," said Phulia Devi.As the counting progresses for the Panchayat elections, there will be more women like Phulia and Shimla who will get to participate in grassroot level democracy for the first time in a state where most women are yet to attain their fair place in society.

Its Intresting even my SARHAJ ( wife of brother in law ) Smt. Sushama Singh won her maiden election from GHOSWARI panchayat ( Near Bakhtiyarpur , Patna) as this seat was reserved for women candidate only while at my NATIVE "Hakam-Reotith "( Gopalganj) a MBC women candidate won her election , this seat was reserved for WOMEN from Most Backward Castes , This is first time a Non Forward candidate become MUKHIYA of my NATIVE , certainly she is Thanking to NITISH Reservation Policies in Panchayat Seats .

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RANJAN RITURAJ SINH