Chinta Devi – A sanitation worker becomes Deputy Mayor

Women made history in the recently held local body elections in Bihar by winning 16 of the total 17 mayor positions as well as 11 deputy mayor positions. One of these victories, that of Chinta Devi, stands out above the rest. She spent the previous four decades working as a sweeper and manual scavenger before being convincingly elected as the deputy mayor of Gaya city in the historic term.Until about two years ago, the 60-year-old widowed woman swept the floors of the Gaya Municipal Corporation headquarters. To make a living, Chinta Devi has even sold vegetables. Her three boys are all municipal corporation sanitation workers. It’s interesting to note that Chinta Devi first hesitated to submit her nomination. However, a lot of people, notably the sweepers’ union, convinced her to join the conflict. Her dedication to her job as a sweeper, especially during the pandemic, helped her win the elections.

70 of the 136 winners in the civic elections are freshmen, or around 65% of the total. Although parties sponsor candidates in these elections, which are not fought along party lines, sources claim that the BJP and the grand alliance each gained six seats in the city council.”A Dalit woman can visit the Lok Sabha in Gaya, a location where people go to seek enlightenment. By choosing Chinta Devi, who had worked as a manual scavenger when there weren’t many restrooms, the locals this time set a precedent that was likely followed by the rest of the world. This is significant, “Ganesh Paswan, the incoming mayor of Gaya, was quoted during a press conference.

The election of Chinta Devi demonstrates that the people of Gaya chose to defy expectations and choose deserving persons to lead their municipal bodies.Patna, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Ara, Sasaram, Darbhanga, Chhapra, Purnia, Bettiah, Kaithar Motihari, Begusarai, Biharsharief, Sitamarhi, and Munger all elected women as mayors. In Patna, Sasaram, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Ara, Purnia, Begusarai, Chhapra, Biharsharief, and Bettia, women were elected as deputy mayors.