Rabri’s sis-in-law quits kitchen to taste politics

Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi’s rise to power is giving the other women in the family ideas. Thirty-five-year-old Mansha Devi, the wi...

Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi’s rise to power is giving the other women in the family ideas. Thirty-five-year-old Mansha Devi, the wife of her brother Prabhunath Yadav, is the latest in the Rabri-Laloo family tree to step out of the kitchen and into the world of politics.

Mansa Devi’s initiation into politics is starting in her own backyard. She is a candidate for the Patna municipal polls from Ward no 3. ‘‘I haven’t come on my own. The people in my locality said I can help them,’’ she said. ‘‘I wanted to do this for a long time… it was in my heart and I guess it’s my time now.’’ Her husband, who works at the Veterinary College, maintained he will remain away from ‘‘dirty politics’’ but has no problems if his wife wants to try it out.

Pabhunath’s younger brother Subhash Yadav, member of legislative council, and member of legislative assembly Sadhu Yadav are both in politics. Though Mansa Devi needs only to ask from the biggest political figures in the state she insists that she is going to do it on her own. ‘‘I don’t want to sell their name. I go for campaigning but I don’t tell people I’m related to Rabri. I have not asked her for help,’’ she said. Asked about the ‘‘dubious’’ means through which her sister-in-law entered politics, Mansa Devi brushes it aside with a ‘‘women do all the work’’ explanation.

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‘‘All the work in this world is done through women. My will to improve things gets stronger. I’m going to make my ward the number one ward in the state,’’ she said.There are 30 candidates in the fray from this small ward and she is the only woman. According to Mansa Devi, Laloo is her role model in politics.

The local council polls are scheduled to be held on April 28 and in the light of the violence that marked the panchayat polls strict measures are being adopted to prevent a repeat.