Yashoda Devi

Yashoda Devi (1927–2004) was the first woman to be elected from a former princely state of India as a member of a legislative assembly. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan from the Banswara constituency in 1953 as a candidate of the Socialist Party. Her success, in which she obtained 63.75 per cent of the vote, resulted from a by-election which took place due to the poll for the prior MLA being deemed illegal. In total, four women candidates contested the constituency.[1]

Yashoda Devi was born in Nagda in 1927. After her education at Banasthali Vidhyapeeth and Bheel Ashram in Bamania, she became a campaigner for various issues. These included activism supporting women's rights and against alcohol, as well as the anti-Riyasat campaign (opposition to the system of princely states). She was both chairman and general secretary of Akhil Hindu Vanwasi Mahila Panchayat.[1]

She was given the title Adarsh Nari by Bhairon Singh Shekhawat in April 2003 and died on 3 January 2004.[1]

One other woman, called Kamala Beniwal, was elected to the same assembly later during its 1952–1957 term.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c Vijayvergiya, Jagdish (1 December 2013). "Rajasthan polls: When Yashoda Devi stood for all women in Rajasthan as an 'Adarsh' politician". DNA. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  2. ^ Puri, Shashi Lata (1978). Legislative Elite in an Indian State: A Case Study of Rajasthan. Abhinav Publications. p. 38. ISBN 978-8-17017-077-8.
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