Shambhavi Chaudhary may well be a subject for her own doctoral research— the intersection of caste and gender in Bihar politics. As the youngest candidate in the 2024 elections, the 25-year-old gets to pursue her “dream” of entering the Lok Sabha, something her father and grandfather failed to realise as they both had lost the parliamentary elections they fought. Shambhavi, who is contesting from the Samastipur constituency on the Lok Janshakti Party ticket for the National Democratic Alliance, attracted nationwide attention when Prime Minister Narendra Modi showered praise on her, calling her the “youngest dalit, woman candidate” in the country.
Shambhavi comes from a privileged background. Her father, Ashok Chaudhary, is a Janata Dal (United) leader and minister in the Nitish Kumar cabinet. Her grandfather Mahavir Chaudhary was a Congress minister in the state. She studied at Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi and Delhi School of Economics and is married to the son of a retired IPS officer, Kunal Kishore. Kishore was known for pushing for dalit priests in temples, although he was from an upper caste family. The story gets curiouser as Shambhavi’s main challenger is Sunny Hazari of the Congress, also a third generation politician. His father, Maheshwar Hazari, too, is from the JD(U) and serves as a minister in the Nitish Kumar government. And father and grandfather were in the Lok Sabha.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
