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 Ujjain in 1927. After her education at Banasthali Vidhyapeeth and in , she became a campaigner for various issues. These included activism supporting women's rights and against alcohol, as well as the campaign opposing Riyasat. She was both chairman and general secretary of .[1]
She was given the title 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[]
- ^ Jump up to: 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.
- ^ 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.
- 1927 births
- 2004 deaths
- Women in Rajasthan politics
- Rajasthan MLAs 1952–1957
- Indian women's rights activists
- Politicians from Ujjain
- Indian women activists
- 20th-century Indian women politicians
- 20th-century Indian politicians
- Activists from Rajasthan