Meet Seema Rajbhar, new national chief of Samajwadi Party’s women’s wing

She hails from Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh and was earlier part of Om Prakash Rajbhar’s Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party, which she left in 2022.

While not a well-known face, sources within the party said Seema’s appointment would signal several messages: one, promoting a woman from a backward community at the national level; two, a reach out to Eastern Uttar Pradesh, where Rajbhars have a strong presence.

Party leaders claimed that the appointment follows earlier efforts to elevate leaders from marginalised backgrounds within the women’s wing. Previously, Rukmini Devi Nishad, also from an extremely backward community and the sister of late Phoolan Devi, had been appointed as the state president of the SP women’s wing in Uttar Pradesh.

In a statement, the party reiterated its commitment to women’s rights and representation, especially for those from backward, Dalit and marginalised sections.

According to SP leaders, the party has a history of promoting women from disadvantaged backgrounds, citing figures such as Phoolan Devi and Leelavati Kushwaha as examples of leaders who were brought into the political mainstream.

The party also criticised the BJP, alleging that it “prioritises elite and upper-class representation over the concerns of backward and Dalit women”.

SP leaders said they would continue to fight for the rights and political participation of women from marginalised communities.

Seema’s appointment comes at a time when political parties in UP are sharpening their focus on social coalitions and gender representation ahead of upcoming assembly elections. Party leaders expressed hope that she would emerge as a strong voice for women from backward and Dalit communities and strengthen the SP’s organisational base among these groups.