Who Is Yashaswini Sahay? Ranchi's First Woman Lok Sabha Candidate

Yashaswini Sahay, the first woman to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Ranchi, is a new force in Indian politics to look out for. The law graduate from Jharkhand is contesting the elections with a Congress ticket. The 27-year-old with a passion for social work is poised to bring a fresh and young approach to the election season. She is the daughter of former Union minister Subodh Kant Sahay and aims to take forward her family's political lineage, with a focus on employment opportunities, sports, and model villages.

Who Is Yashaswini Sahay?

Following in the footsteps of her father, Yashaswini Sahay stepped into politics in 2024 as a member of the Congress party. According to her portfolio on myneta.info, she is a graduate of the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, in Turin, Italy. She earned a Master's degree in Transnational Crime and Justice in 2021.

Sahay is also a law graduate and works as an advocate in Mumbai. Speaking to the Press Trust of India in a 2024 interview, the 27-year-old said that having a Master's degree in Law and specialising in human rights, she had a societal orientation in her thoughts. The myneta portal states that Sahay has also worked as a social worker.

Her foray into politics was not without its share of criticism from the Opposition. When Bharatiya Janata Party leaders brought attention to the role of 'nepotism' in her political debut, she asserted that they attempted to take the attention away from real issues like unemployment in Jharkhand, which is one of the target areas of her campaign.

Vision For India

Jharkhand politician Yashaswini Sahay's campaign focuses on the issues faced by the youth. These include sports facilities, employment opportunities, and female empowerment. Addressing women's issues in Jharkhand, she told Outlook India, "As a woman, I can sense it. We have got into an emotional bond. It is more than political.”

The young politician spoke about the growing involvement of women in male-dominated sections of society. “Adivasi women are very liberated. Most of them are working and earning lives. We are listening to the issues of Dalit, and OBC women as well. All of them may have separate problems, but as women, they all feel left out," she said. 

Sahay also acknowledged Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Kalpana Soren's popularity as a woman in politics. “Women should be now given the baton of politics. Men politicians have miserably failed us," Sahay expressed. Sahay emits a positive and enthusiastic energy for the ongoing election season. Ranchi is going to the polls on May 25.